


The Kids are All Right

by BuggyNess



Series: The Kids are All Right [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: A needle and a fast Grandma, Al and Winry hooking up that one time, Chapter 26 is Royai-ish, Ed finally grew up, Ed's adventures West, Ed's going to need a bigger boat, Elric family hardships, F/M, Gen, How Ed came up with his proposal, Kimblee's a creep, Slice of Life, Winry's got true grit, illustration by cypii, illustration by fennethianell, illustration by persnickety-doodles, never a dull moment with Ed, weenie hut junior
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2018-02-20 22:16:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 52,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2445116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuggyNess/pseuds/BuggyNess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A compilation of FMA one shots chronicling the Elric's lives during and after the events of the manga/FMA Brotherhood. Some are inter-related and most are not in any sort of chronological order. I write what I feel at the moment and about the strange ideas that pop into my head. EDxWin, AlxMei, RoyxRiza etc. Various ratings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Notice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Line art "The Kids are Alright" by cypii on deviantart.com. They graciously let me attempt to color their lovely lines and use it for this story.

 

 

Al notices things.

For instance, he watched as Brother intentionally ate the last cookie. Sure, Ed thought Al was just reading, but the younger Elric kept one eye on Edward as he took the treat, grinning evilly as he waltzed out of the kitchen. Of course Winry rewarded Ed's thieving with a fight and enough yelling to rattle apart the rafters in the attic. Still, Alphonse saw that Brother seemed pleased with himself despite the trouble.

Another time, he witnessed Edward sneak into the shop and pilfer a favorite screwdriver just so he could clean under his nails and then put it right back in its place uncleaned. Upon finding her tool filthy, the mechanic lodged her complaint with the former Alchemist – in fact she lodged it right between his eyes and it wasn't really a complaint so much as it was a monkey wrench. Al saw Brother snicker and smile as he rubbed the red spot on his forehead.

It wasn't always violence either.

At meal times, he often caught Edward setting his hand down on the table millimeters away from Winry's. Al watched Brother's eyes investigating the mechanic's face in an attempt to discern her notice. She always noticed.

On another occasion, he, Brother and Winry laughed as they read letters from Mei Chang and Ling. Al remembered how happy they were to hear of their friend's adventures in Xing, especially Ling's hijinks and Lan Fan's attempts to keep him from being murdered. He marveled as Edward placed his hand on Winry's shoulder as he stood behind her while she read the mail. Brother gently rubbed her bare skin with his thumb!

Winry contracted influenza the first winter after their return to Resembool. Because of his still weakened condition, he wasn't allowed upstairs at all. Al remembers trying to sleep in the patient room while listening to Granny and Brother's soft footsteps above. Despite the risk of catching the sickness, Brother never left her side. His bravely disguised his worry in a sad smile and carried trays of food upstairs and downstairs. Al noticed how untouched some were. Finally, the girl pulled through and started to gain her strength. When he was allowed to visit her, he remembered walking in the room and catching Winry plant a small kiss on Brother's cheek. Her blue eyes sang, "Thank you," the whole time.

Not often enough, but Brother does show that he thinks of Winry as more than a sister. Alphonse realized this a long time before the Promised Day but even more so now. He actually took out pen and paper once to add up the thousands of small things he's seen between the two that probably would add up to one big thing for Winry and Ed. Al's sure that big thing is love, but he'd get socked in the arm by either of them if he ever said that out loud.

Still, he notices. When he was younger, he felt a little jealousy toward Brother, but he realized that he loved both of them, Winry as his sister and Brother as, well, a brother. He knows Ed and Winry notice each other too and he hopes that someday, they'll grow up enough to come to a realization of their own. Alphonse hopes they'll see that sometimes, it takes three words and not a thousand tiny actions.

I mean, how hard can it be to say, "I love you?"

.

.

fin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 6/20/14. A/N: Not much going on here, just a short little thing about what's going around in Al's head as Ed and Winry dance around their feelings for each other. :)


	2. Piss and Vinegar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10/12/14 A/N: Guess what? They didn't have those nice, quick ear piercing guns back in the "aughts" and early 1900's. Winry deciding to wear ALL the earrings meant one thing – a needle and a fast Grandma (ha, that would have been a better title.)

“Winry, dear?” Pinako motioned for her granddaughter to sit on the patient bed as she scooted the heavy metal stool close enough for her to take care of the task. “Are you sure?” The young girl's eyes shone with fierce determination.

 

“I am!” She hopped up on the stark white and immaculately clean bed as her Granny began setting up the tools needed to accomplish this task. Winry took time to adjust the melting ice shard she held taut against her right ear.

 

“Well, you've been a good study on sterilizing stainless steel. Can you tell me how long the metal should sit in isopropyl alcohol to kill all bacteria and other infectious germs?”

 

“At least ten minutes.” She turned her body so that her right side faced the old woman. The blond smiled, pleasantly pleased that she no longer felt her ear and happy the ice did its work.

 

“Very good.” Pinako set the white ceramic-coated metal basin gently next to the girl, careful not to spill any of the clear liquid inside. She also carried with her a small bowl of ice freshly chipped off the block in the freezer which was deposited in the girl's waiting hands to replenish the piece wrapped in muslin cloth Winry held against her ear.

“Well, then.” She exhaled. “I suppose we're ready.” The old woman pierced ears before. There was nothing to it. She just wondered why the girl wanted _so many_ at once. Pinako slapped on a stiff latex pair of gloves and reached into the basin withdrawing a large needle and a pair of surgical tongs.

 

“Ed's going to freak when he see this.” The girl almost giggled and kicked her legs against the bed earning a hush from the grandmother. “...Alphonse too.” She added.

 

“I'm sure they will...now put the ice down and stay still.” Pinako took the girl's earlobe in the tongs and pulled it taut. “Are you sure about the placement?” She held the needle to the area Winry already dotted with a pen.

 

“Yup. Two in the lobe, two in the cartilage.” She just couldn't wait to show off the two pairs of earrings the Elric brothers bought her on their last visit.

 

“Fine. Here we go.” With swift accuracy, Pinako pushed the needled through the flesh. “One.” She counted as the pain surged through the girl, her back stiffening but no sound or cry escaped Winry's lips. She reached inside the basin and pulled out the silver hoops, hoping that the alcohol didn't tarnish the metal. Deftly, she pushed the needle all the way through and threaded the earring through the bleeding hole, clasping the back. “Doing alright?”

 

“Y,yeah...f.f.fine.” Winry stuttered. She didn't expect this to hurt as bad as it did but she would not let herself cry. The girl braced herself. If Edward could endure losing his arm and leg and then getting automail attached surely getting tiny holes punched in her ears is something she could handle. No problem. After all, Granny always said that Rockbell women were made of piss and vinegar, so she shouldn't cry over something so small as getting her ears pierced.

 

“Ok.” Pinako readjusted the tongs and dipped the needle in the alcohol then placing it at the second blue dot on the earlobe. “Two.” She jabbed the needle through faster than the first, eliciting a slight yelp from her granddaughter, who began breathing heavily. Quickly following the protocol of the first, she plugged the hole with the second hoop, then set the needle and tongs back in the basin. “Half done.” The old lady sat back to catch her breath and give the poor girl a rest as well. “Still with me?”

 

“Um...hmmm.” Awful. This felt simply awful. She started shaking slightly, painfully aware that the numbing properties of the ice wore off fast.

 

“Winry, these last two holes are going to be doosies. More nerves in the cartilage area in some people.” Pinako readjusted her glasses and stared at the girl's left ear, Winry's hair pinned back with a clip.

 

“Keep going.” No sense in stopping now. She had to wear ALL the earrings.

 

“Here we go.” The woman picked up the stud earring and removed the back, setting it inside the basin. Picking up the needle with the same hand and the tongs with her left, she started pushing the hard steel through the cartilage in the girl's ear. As the pin pierced the ear, Winry dropped the stoneware bowl of ice on the floor, shattering the pottery and spilling ice and ceramic shards across the patient room. Without saying a word about the mess, Pinako quickly pushed the needle through and then replaced it with the stud and finally retrieving its back from the alcohol basin. She exhaled as she fastened the back in place. “Told you.” She sat back for another breather.

 

“I'm, I'm alright.” Winry couldn't stop shaking. She was grateful her grandmother was quick and didn't hesitate like she was sure she would if she did this herself. Still, she was unsure that she could endure the last one. “Keep going.”

 

“You're tough.” Pinako smiled and repeated the process installing the final stud in the girl's ear. She sat back and picked up some cotton pads which she soaked in the disinfectant then wrapped them around her granddaughter's bleeding ear. “Hold this in place for a while, when the bleeding stops, I have some antibiotic ointment you'll need to smear on them daily.” She ripped off the gloves, tossing them and all the other implements inside the basin to be cleaned and put away later.

 

“This, this is nothing compared to what Ed and Al went through.” Winry regulated her breathing, as the pain slowly subsided. “I hope they like them!”

 

“Winry, don't let the boys' opinions affect what you do. The important thing is that YOU like them.” Pinako handed her a mirror and the girl removed the cotton for a minute to admire her grandmother's work. “What do YOU think?”

 

She starred at the sterling silver hoops and studs, now laced through her earlobe. “I adore them.” Yes, they looked at home there, as if she'd always had them. So what if that female solder had ONE pair of pierced earrings. This automail mechanic now had FIVE earrings and she absolutely loved the way they looked.

 

She couldn't wait until the boys saw them, though.

Especially...Edward.

 

.

.

.

.

_fin_

 


	3. Fish Fry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 9/6/14 A/N: I really tried to crank this one out during "Shark Week" on the discovery Channel, but, meh, just didn't happen. Everything I know about fishing I learned from watching, Jaws, I'm sorry about that. Inspired by that photo. (Google Ed and a shark). :)

"Winry!" Pinako waived goodbye to Mr. Brown who had just delivered their post. She knew her granddaughter would be elated to see the large envelope she clutched in her strong hands. Edward's now elegant handwriting couldn't be missed. "You have mail!"

Unmistakable thump thump thumps carried from over the old woman's head as the girl trampled over her own feet to get downstairs. She remembered herself at the top of the stairwell, slicking back her messy hair and calmly strolling down the stairs to meet her grandmother.

"Did you say I had mail?" Winry asked, trying not to give away her excitement.

"Aw, quit the act...I know you're excited." Pinako teased. "It's only from Al."

"Al?" They heard from Alphonse often. In fact, a letter arrived just last week from the younger Elric and although she certainly wouldn't be disappointed to hear from Alphonse again, the elder Elric hadn't written in a while.

"Poor thing." Pinako handed Winry the envelope. "I'm just kidding, it's from Ed." She winked as the girl grabbed the letter and eyed Edward's cursive script.

"Wow! It's heavy!" She tore into the mail as they both walked into the kitchen. Her grandmother cleared a small space on the table from the morning's automail work and motioned for Winry to empty the contents there. The girl did so and a handful of sepia photographs tumbled among the screws and metal. "Oh, my!" One picture caught both sets of eyes and Pinako snatched it up before her granddaughter could reach it.

"Holy Hell, girl!" She adjusted her eyeglasses with her left hand as she held the picture high so Winry could see.

"Granny?" Although shocked at seeing Ed, she couldn't stop her left eye from twitching at what she discovered just below the young man's rolled up pants leg-almost intact automail. Only her well-trained eyes noticed the tell-tale signs of damage and an amateur repair attempt. So caught up in examining the leg, Winry missed the true subject of the photograph.

"That boy caught a shark!" Indeed, there stood Edward, proud and smiling as friendly-looking folks stood around him and an enormous shark hanging from its tail.

"I'm going to kill him."

* * *

 

Arnie told him stories at night about pirates and how some of them had "peg legs" or hooks for hands. It seemed that cannon balls and old-timey weapons exacted harsh punishment on human limbs, much like seeing the Truth. He didn't think he'd like to have lived during the time those men sailed the Aerugoen Sea, plundering and causing havoc...well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"He's coming around the bow!" His employer's voice boomed over the crashing waves. Edward held taut the enormous reel and waited for the fight to continue. If they all were going to get out of this alive, he's have to take down this beast.

Edward considered his arrangement with Arnie Beckk and his family classic equivalent exchange – he'd help out as a deck hand on the Beckk's fishing vessel, the Sea Witch, and in return, the young man would get free room and board with a small stipend. It helped that Augustus Beckk, the grumpiest old man in the world and Arnie's father was also a well accomplished alchemist. Slowly, Ed earned the crotchety Grampa's trust and over the few weeks he'd been in Aerugo, he'd learned a few things about alchemy that never had occurred to him before.

The Beckk family, as with many of the new families Edward had met along his journey west, was a sight to behold. Augustus, or Old Gus was the patriarch. Too old to help his son on the Sea Witch, Gus spent his days sitting outside the fish market with other equally grumpy old men all the while reminiscing about their glory days fishing, raising hell and raising children. In the afternoon, when Arnie and crew returned with their catch, Gus would run the shop, one of many in the seaside village's fish market.

Arnie's wife was a kind woman. She's the one who forced Edward to follow her home and came up with the idea of a job to help out her husband. The young ex-alchemist had just gotten off the train at the worst possible time, midday, when the station and adjacent market bustled with people. Not really knowing where to go first, but hot on the trail of unique alchemy in Aerugo, Ed stumbled into the market. His stomach led him to a fried-fish stand. Once that need was satisfied, he wandered around trying not to get knocked down by someone in the crowd. Then, he saw it. He'd seen pictures and paintings but didn't every imagine its beauty would take his heart and twist. The view of Twinsail Town Bay – of the ocean beyond stopped the young man in his tracks.

"Wow." He breathed in the salt air and couldn't help it. The next thought that popped into his head, the very next image to hit his brain was of her. Winry. "She'd love this." He spoke softly, to himself. Ed turned to find a place to take his camera out of his suitcase. As he did, his luggage struck the tote bag of a large blonde woman, knocking it to the ground. She huffed as her groceries, namely bright red apples, started rolling among the walking people. "Oh! Let me get that!" Ed scrambled to find every last apple and tuck them safely in the burlap tote. "I'm sorry about that ma'am." He handed her the bag.

"Son, get your stuff and quit gawkin' in the middle of the sidewalk." She took his arm as he picked up his suitcase and ushered him aside to one of the seafood sellers. "You're new here, aren't you?"

"Yeah, how could you tell?" He scratched the back of his head and grinned."

"Come back in the evening if you want to take a picture. Tourists always come midday and get in the way." She let the bag's straps fall down to the crook of her left elbow and she swiped a few strands of hair back into the messy bun on top of her curly head. "Here." She handled him an apple. "At least you are a kind boy, helping me get my apples." Her plump face produced a lovely smile, one Edward thought reminded him of his mother. "Name's Hattie Ann...Hattie Ann Beckk." She extended her right hand, still holding the apple.

"Um, thanks." Ed took the fruit and stowed it in his left hand. He then took the woman's hand with his right and shook it. "Ed, Ed Elric."

"Well, Ed, Are you here on vacation?"

"No. Here for research." He took a chunk of apple in one bite, disregarding washing it or the fact it rolled on the dirt road minutes prior. Picking up his suitcase again, he finished his sentence. "Alchemy research."

"Really."

"Yeah, do you know any boarding houses or inns you can recommend...on the cheap?"

"Hmm." She took the young man's elbow and urged him to walk with her. "Ed. Would you be willing to work for your lodging?"

"Uh, hadn't really thought about it..." He marveled at how wonderful that apple tasted. It's been a good while since he had one. "I guess so, as long as I had time to seek out some alchemists in Twinsail Town, I understand you don't have a library here..." Hattie Ann moved them faster through the streets and before Edward realized it, they had traveled a good distance from the stand he had eaten his lunch.

"Ed, my friend. I have just bought a bushel of apples because I've got a hankering for apple pie. I can't fight the cravings sometimes, you know..." She moved the tote to the side and for the first time since meeting the young man, revealed that not only was she overweight, but she was also heavy with child. "Damn those men...got off the boat this morning and still working the shop or are too tired to chop the wood for the stove..." She walked them faster and faster. "I told myself, 'Hattie Ann, if you want pie, you're going to have to find someone to chop the firewood for you,' and here you are!"

Before Ed realized it, he was happily chopping aged wood blocks for the large pregnant woman's oven. Still, that apple pie was delicious, so good, he wondered if he should ever tell Winry about it when he returned home.

Eventually, the young man met the rest of the Beckk's: Arnie and Hattie Ann's two son's Avery and Aldon – two scrawny fifteen-year old twins. The boys had Arnie's happy blue eyes and but pin straight dark hair. They also were identical, so much so that even their parents had difficulty telling them apart when Avery removed his glasses. Edward found out right away, though, that the boys were utterly useless on the fishing boat. Lacking the muscles to wrangle the gear, most of the time their clumsiness hampered instead of helped their dad. Ed took the task of training the boys, hoping to build them up, much like he helped Alphonse regain his strength after the Promised Day,

Of course the Beckk twins were just a useless now, as Edward held fast to the industrial fishing reel while the boys cowered below deck. Well, not really cowering but they were helping Arnie get the water-clogged engine running again. The smoke billowing from the cabin made the former alchemist more worried than the monster currently dragging their boat out to sea. Even if the shark left them alone, they had no way to get back unless they could hail a passing ship with their radio.

"C'mon...c'mon...tire out already!" Ed's hands had been worn raw from his tight grip on the rod and reel. He and the big fish fought for over an hour and despite his excellent physical condition, the young man grew weary.

"God-damnit." Arnie stormed from the cabin. "That son-of-a bitch killed it." He referred to the engine, hours earlier, the shark rammed the Sea Witch causing it to take on corrosive salt water. "The bilge pumps are still working...for now." He held on to Edward's shoulders, the youth's body wrapped in the leather fishing harness holding him fast to the chair.

"He just won't tire out." Sweat trickled down the blond's brow and he grit his teeth as they both watched the four orange barrels they'd harpooned to the beast bob and sway in the behemoth's tail wake.

"If I thought for one moment fish had brains...I'd think that bastard was pulling us in deeper waters to do us in." Arnie took his handkerchief and wiped his own sweaty brow. "Never seen anything like him."

"Yeah..." Ed grunted. It sure seemed like the shark had a plan and he didn't like it. He also didn't like the fact that the experienced fisherman had never come across a shark like this. "Arnie, I'm getting tired."

"I think we need to release him." The older man squinted his eyes in the mid morning sun.

"He'll just turn around and ram us again." Ed had a thought. He didn't like all this hard work and waiting. Maybe letting the big fish come at them one last time was the key on bagging it. He reached down and grabbed the emergency cable cutters. Before Arnie could protest, the young man clipped the heavy cable and the shark sailed free.

"Ed?"

"Gimme your long knife, quick!" Edward hollered as he deftly unhooked the worn brass buckles of the harness and tossed it on the chair bolted to the deck. Arnie unfastened the knife he always wore strapped securely to his left calf and carefully took hold of the blade and handed it to his deckhand.

"Just how the hell are you gonna kill it with a knife?" He squinted again at the sun and frowned as the orange barrels started to turn and come toward their vessel.

"I'm not sure...but we're gonna find out!" Ed winced at the thought of Winry ever finding out he planned on being reckless again without his alchemy. Better ask for forgiveness than permission. He eyed the floats coming ever closer and then positioned himself at the stern, hoping to time it just right.

"Shit." Arnie couldn't speak above a whisper as he met eyes with the shark-twenty feet long and coming at the Sea Witch at ramming speed. Before he could launch any verbal protest, Edward jumped from his perch on the stern and landed with a thud on the behemoth's head.

"Ahhhhh!" The former alchemist screamed as he brought the blade down. The creature, not liking having this foreign thing on its head, rolled as the knife came down and instead of the blade spearing the fish, it met water. The motion of the fish also effectively launched the young man from its snout.

"Swim back to the boat Ed!" Arnie yelled and threw a life ring tethered to the boat. He knew the young man was just too far and the fish just too fast. He dreaded telling his wife when he got home.

Ed still clutched the knife as he tread water. The shark disappeared in the blue, just the orange floats giving away its location. For a minute, it seemed the animal headed out to sea, but then, the barrels turned and started back toward Edward and coming fast.

"C'mon! Edward!" Arnie's voice carried with it terror.

"Just one chance..." Ed thought as the monster charged. He saw the dead blackness of its eye as he kicked it with his left leg.

The shark bit down. Both the man and the beast then disappeared into the dark water.

"Ed?" The fisherman's voice was barely above a whisper. He wondered what to tell his boys down below. "Edward?" Arnie leaned over the side of the boat amazed at how calm the ocean became after the shark took the young man. He wiped his eyes with his handkerchief and turned toward the cabin entrance. "Avery! Aldon!" Loud clanks and clatters wafted up from below. The engine made a deathly sputter but miraculously came back to life. Suddenly, two dark-heads popped up out of the crawlspace – both boys grinning from ear to ear.

"Got it workin' Dad!" Aldon yelled as both exited the cabin. They expected shock on their father's face but that's not the look they received from him. His face held the horrible gaze of terror and sadness.

"Where's, where's Ed?" Avery sputtered as his eyes trailed up and down the vacant seat the former alchemist had only been moments before.

"He's gone, sons." Avery motioned both boys into an embrace. However, before anyone could shed a tear they heard the sound of a man gasping for breath.

"Dad! Look!" One of the boys ran to the bow and pointed. About twenty yards from the boat a man surfaced and spat out sea water. It was Edward.

"Hey! Come pick me up!" The young man tread water. "Hurry, leg's heavy!"

Arnie took to the helm and negotiated the boat alongside Edward as the boys lowered the metal ladder for him to raise himself up. Safe inside the boat, the blond plopped down heavily on the deck with a slosh of water...and blood.

"Ed! Where'd he bite ya?" Avery and Aldon searched his body for the horrible gashes of shark bites but found none.

"Easy. Easy. This is the shark's blood, not mine." Edward's breath started to slow as he recuperated from the long time underwater. He also intended to soothe the worried boys. "But I think I'm going to have to see my mechanic soon." Ed motioned to this automail leg and threw the twins a lopsided smile. The kid's eyes grew wide as they scanned the limb: the trouser leg had been ripped; the once shiny metal shin plate was dented inward to such a point the ends nearest Ed's knee and ankle were bowed outward; the calf plate was also dented inward. Had the limb been flesh and blood, the shark would have lobbed it off right in the middle where the dent lay.

"Damn!" Aldon swore and his brother covered his mouth. Thankfully, his dad didn't hear.

"I'm ok. Don't worry." Ed flashed another goofy smile as Arnie brought the boat around to the orange barrels and yelled back.

"Get the line to the wench, we're hauling it in!"

"Hey Ed!" Avery yelled as they grabbed for equipment that would let them bring in the dead shark. "When we get it in, let us try to fix your leg, ok?" His voice shone proud at being able to fix the engine, he figured they could bang out the dents on the young man's leg no problem.

"Uh, sure." He didn't think the boys could do any worse than the shark at this point and they did have a long trip back. "C'mon, the shark's still hooked to the barrels, let's bring it back to port!" Edward's eyes flashed with joy, he really wanted to see this creature's entire form and behold what he managed to defeat with his bare hands and without alchemy.

* * *

 

"Hattie, how's that young man you kidnapped right from the tourist's train working out?" The woman selling vegetables asked. The housewives of Twinsail Town spread Hattie Ann's personal triumph through their gossip lines. Everyone marveled at the woman's ability to procure almost free labor.

"Ed?" Hattie pat her swollen belly. "He's a doll. If I were twenty years younger..." She whistled for emphasis. "...and not in love with a fisherman..." A bustling sound of voices broke the ladies conversation and they both looked toward the cause of the commotion.

"...Did you see?"

"...They said he killed it with his bare hands!"

"...I heard that it attacked the Sea Witch!"

Hattie Ann heard them speak of her boat and her heart broke with worry. "Arnie!" She ignored the basket of produce, letting it drop on a crate of watermelon and she ran as fast as her pregnant body allowed toward the docks.

The fisher-wife stood shocked as the photographer's flash exploded and all eyes suddenly went blurry for a second. When the fuzzy blurs subsided she couldn't believe her now clear eyes. There, on the dock stood her "house-boy" Ed, leaning on the biggest shark anyone in Twinsail Town had ever seen. Next to him stood her bare-foot husband, arm's crossed and proud. To their right, her two boys, one kneeling and giving the victory sign for the camera.


	4. Ass Handed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 11/2/14 A/N: I think when Ed first got his title and watch, he thought it made him a man and gave him so much false self confidence he'd get himself into a lot of trouble. It was all I could do to not name "Junior's" "Weenie Hut Junior." Hope you see what also inspired me :)

One Day. One day passed since the twelve-year-old alchemy prodigy, Edward Elric obtained his State Alchemist title The Fullmetal Alchemist. He couldn't remember a time he'd been happier, it felt like solstice celebration and he'd open presents in the morning. The boy kept fingering the silver watch in his pocket, afraid that if he lost contact with it, it would disappear along with the title. He even slept with it under his pillow that night. The whole ordeal existed just so he could move forward and use the military's resources to restore his brother's body. Sure, he couldn't actually  _feel_  the timepiece his right hand clutched so very carefully, but it was real and with it the realization he and Alphonse could make things right again.

 

“Can I see it again, Brother?” The boy's voice trembled with excitement. Alphonse's unnatural metal form loomed over Edward's smaller body as he tried to see the sparkling new metal watch.

 

“Sure!” Ed gingerly placed the watch in his brother's enormous leather hand, never taking his golden eyes from it, should Al drop it. “That's the key to you getting your body back!”

 

“Yeah, and your arm and leg too!” Alphonse started to get annoyed at his older brother never acknowledging recouping his own lost limbs. Although the younger Elric never asked about it, from the way Brother pushed himself, Al knew that Edward thought his arm and leg represented the elder's guilt and punishment for trying to bring back their mom. He wondered if Ed ever planned on actually trying to get back his missing limbs. It made him want to sock his brother in the face.

 

“So, what do you think about this dumb mission Mustang's sending us on?” The two walked side by side down the dusty sidewalk, having just exited the tiny train depot in North Umberton.

 

“Seems easy.” Al gently handed the watch back to his brother. “Find the mayor and deliver the documents.” He scanned the small, dusty, western Amestrian town for the city hall. “I don't know why he didn't trust the Post to deliver it...just seems odd.”

 

“He's sending us on a cake mission just to say he's  _sent_ us.” Ed scowled. “Just wasting our time when we could be attacking the stacks in the East Library.” The two came upon a drug store soda fountain, Edward stopping upon seeing an add for his favorite soda. “Say, Al?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I need a drink.” Ed motioned to the drugstore. “Can you take the letter to City Hall and meet me back here?”

 

“Well, sure...” Alphonse felt proud Edward would give him total responsibility for their mission. “If you think it'd be alright.” He held out his large hand as his brother slapped a brown envelope down in it.

 

“C'mon, Al, nothing to it, just go ask to see the mayor and make the delivery.”

 

“Got it!” The suit of armor gave his brother the thumbs up and he took off toward the largest building on the main street, hoping it was the City Hall.

 

Not wasting any time, Edward turned to check out what sort of soda fountain this hick town had. The Alchemist took in the pastel painted sign which read “Junior's”. He reached for the worn, brass door handle and peered through the dusty glass panes. Music tinkled from inside, an old wireless set broadcasting popular tunes of the day. A pimply-faced teenager acted as the soda jerk, barely able to reach the handles to inject carbonated water into the tall glasses. He wore a white and red striped paper hat which the young man seemed to constantly adjust while working. Across from the jerk, three kids sat sipping on what looked liked  _egg creams,_ the sight make the Fullmetal Alchemist throw up in his mouth a little. He let go of the handle.

 

“Gross. Milk and carbonated water....” He didn't care it also contained copious amounts of chocolate syrup, there was no way in Hell he could ever like a drink made with cow juice. It didn't matter if they'd make him a fizzy orange soda, Ed just couldn't sit there and enjoy it with those babies drinking that yuck. He sighed and stepped out of the doorway. As he raised his head, Ed noticed another drinking hole across the dirt street. An  _adult_ establishment. “May as well. They're bound to have bottles of orange there.” The boy dug his hands deep in his pockets, straightened up his shoulders and tried to act  _tall_ as he walked into a saloon for the very first time.

 

Ed took notice of the broken wooden sign hanging in two pieces over the louvered double doors. One read “Salty” the other read “Spittoon.” He chuckled at the name and unfortunately mocked it out loud. “What kind of stupid name is that?”

 

“The Hell?” A brusk male voice assaulted him before he could make it two feet past the doors.

 

“Huh?”

 

“What did you say about my saloon,  _half pint_?”

 

“Uh, just that, I wondered what it took to determine a spittoon was  _salty?”_ A mischievous grin spread wide across the young man's face.  “I mean...designating an adjective regarding the sense of  _taste_ when describing your establishmentwould mean one would have had to  _licked_ the spittoon to find it was in fact  _salty.”_ Ed smirked rather proud of himself. He didn't count on large hands grasping his collar and tossing his small body through the louver doors.

 

“Ooomph!” Ed hollered as he landed on his butt in the dusty street, having totally cleared the wooden sidewalk.

 

“Don't like the name, don't come back!” The bearded man yelled as the louvered doors swung back and forth.

 

“Hey!” Edward stood up and rubbed his sore backside. “I'm a paying customer!” Not knowing when to give up, the small alchemist charged right back into the Salty Spittoon and past it's proprietor. He made it as far as a bar stool before the angry man caught up to him.

 

“I thought I told you to keep out” He loomed over the small boy.

 

“Let's start this again.” Ed pulled his trump card, his magic bullet, his sharpshooter from the right pocket of his pants and gently set his silver State Alchemist pocket watch on the bar. “I just want an orange soda, ok?”

 

“State Alchemist?” The man rubbed his mustache and considered the trinket on his wooden bar. “You're too young and too  _small_. That's fake!” He snapped his fingers and two just a burly men joined him.

 

“It's NOT FAKE!” Ed hollered as the men picked him up and tossed him through the louvered doors for a second time. This time he landed face down on the dirt road. He felt a hard thump on his ass as his pocket watch made contact with his butt.

 

“I said, don't come back!” The owner again yelled as the doors swung to and fro.

 

Ed righted himself and scrambled to find the pocket watch. Grasping it in his left hand he studied it to make sure it wasn't damaged. Finding that his ass cushioned its fall and it had no imperfections, he drug his small form upright and shoved the watch back into his right pocket.

 

“Stupid jerks.” How dare they! He was a fucking State Alchemist a flipping Major in the Amestrian Army. He could have all of them thrown into the stocks! No way he'd let people like that win, he was going to get that orange soda and it wasn't going to be from “Junior's” either.

 

Slurp!

 

A large, rough, and wet tongue ran up his neck, the side of his face and up his head coating him in slobber. Edward's left eye twitched in anger and he turned to come face to face with a horse tethered to the railing outside the saloon. He dusted his red coat and marched back into the saloon.

 

This time, Ed pulled out his wallet and before he could be dragged out again, plunked down cash on the bar. He eyed the proprietor and his goons.

 

“I have money I want to spend here!” Ed growled. “I just want an orange soda and no problems. Got it?”

 

“An orange soda?” The owner chuckled. “That's all he wants...is an orange soda.” Smiling, he went behind the bar and opened a small refrigerator withdrawing a cold bottle of orange fizz. He knocked the cap off on the corner of the bar and slapped it down in front of Edward. The boy smiled.

 

“T, t, thanks?”

 

“But, it goes much better with this.” He reached over and brought an open bottle of Stray Dog whiskey.

 

“No thanks, just the soda.” Ed grabbed for the bottle but before he could, two strong hands held him down.

 

“Nah, you've paid me here...” The proprietor motioned to the cash on the bar. “...For more than just a soda, so here you go!” He handed the bottle to the other man who pinched Ed's nose and poured the liquor down the boy's throat. “Now get out!”

 

Again, Edward was hoisted off his seat and unceremoniously tossed through the wooden doors onto the dirty street. He landed on his butt.

 

“Damn it.” Ed sat there as the warm whiskey they made him ingest trickled down into his gut. Suddenly, the boy no longer felt angry but he still was thirsty. He stood up really fast and the world around him seemed to wobble ever so slightly and his whole body felt warm.

 

Slurp!

 

“Ack!” Edward wiped the slobber from his face and stared down the horse once more. The bastard of a beast seemed to laugh at him too. “I didn't ask your opinion!” He screamed at the horse then stared down the saloon doors. “Now, for that drink!” He ran with full force back into the establishment.

 

“Damn, little runt doesn't know when to quit!” The owner stood with his goons staring down at the little alchemist.

 

“I'm notta runt! In fact, you don't know just who yer messin' with!” Edward slurred. If these asshats wanted a fight, he'd give them one.

 

“Merl, take him out back and hand him his ass.” The owner shrugged and motioned to the two patrons who slowly circled the little alchemist.

 

“C'mon. I just wanted a soda.” Edward sighed and clapped his hands.

 

* * *

 

Alphonse could have skipped from the town hall to the soda fountain. He'd delivered the letter to the mayor and was rewarded with a smile and a book of coupons for free sodas at Junior's which happened to be owned by the mayor himself. It took all his energy to walk as normal as an eleven-year-old boy's soul bonded to a huge suit of armor could walk. When he arrived at where he last left his brother, Edward could not be found. Al peered into the drug store and only saw three kids and no Edward. A loud commotion sounding horrifically similar to his older brother yelling carried from across the street.

 

“Salty Spittoon?” Al sped toward the saloon. “Brother, no way!” He pushed past the louvered doors and landed in the middle of what probably was a huge melee.

 

“Hey Al!” Hiccup! Edward sat on the only standing bar stool and he happily sipped away on an icy bottle of orange soda through a red and white striped straw. “Got my drink!” His eye was black and his lip was busted.

 

Al surveyed the rest of the bar. All patrons were restrained by Ed's signature earth hands and all of them spat curses toward the alchemist as said boy slurped and slurped down his soda. He actually was working on his third drink by the bottles lined up before him.

 

“Edward!” Alphonse roared. “Are you drunk?”

 

“Not my fault, not my fault!” His motions were highly exaggerated as he tried to explain his condition. “These jerks force fed me THIS...” He motioned to the Stray Dog. “...when I actually ordered THIS.” He knocked over the rest of his soda. “Damn.”

 

“Brother! Clean all this up...NOW!” Al's voice now boomed and knocked his smaller brother from his seat.

 

“Calm down. I'm getting to it.” Ed slapped his hands together then slammed them on the floor and slowly all the damaged wood and furniture was fixed. He even managed to leave some gargoyle carvings in the corners. Lastly, he freed the owner and patrons.

 

“I'm sorry about my brother.” Al scratched the back of his head. “Does he owe you any money for the soda?”

 

The proprietor took a look around, seeing everything repaired and in better condition than before the brat entered. “Nah...just take this little turd out of my bar.”

 

“Who you calling little!?!!!” Al held his brother back by his collar and drug him out of the saloon. The men followed. “I even fixed your Salty sign!” Indeed the sign was whole again.

 

The owner stood and spat. He smacked his hands together as if he were dusting them off and yelled. “...and stay out!”

 

* * *

 

They Elric brothers found themselves once again on a train back to East City. Al sat quietly and secretly glad the hard wooden seats didn't hurt his metal back side while Ed squirmed uncomfortably.

 

“I don't understand adults, Al.” He griped. “Why do they drink that stuff when it does this?” Edward lurched toward the open window and threw his upper body out and vomited.

 

“Ew.” Al hoped his brother cleared the train.

 

“I mean, seriously!” Ed wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve and plopped back down.

 

  
  



	5. Cry No Tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5/16/14 A/N: I was feeling some Winry angst and wrote this because I had this idea that a stupid accident would happen and Winry'd show her true grit to Hohenheim. Also, not much is written about the time Al, Winry and gang sans Ed hid out in Liore while Ed was traveling with Darius and Henkel.

Winry sighed as she stirred the potato soup, watching bits of celery and onion swirl round and round in the small whirlpool created by the wooden spoon she clutched. Her stomach gurgled happily at the heavenly smell, but this meal was earmarked for the hardworking men reconstructing Liore. She and Rose would have to wait and catch their meal later. Though she'd much rather be working on automail than cooking, the mechanic really didn't mind. After all, this is what she  _could_ do to help out – the big men refusing to let her aid in any of the construction. Because their refusal to let her work on the buildings angered her so, Mr. Hohenheim reassured her that the safest and best way she could help was by fueling up the exhausted workers during their meal breaks. Ed and Al's dad went on to explain that along with the good food, hers and Rose's cheerful faces motivated everyone to do their best and work hard to make Liore a great city again.

The girl still thought it a bit sexist of the men, but acquiesced as soon as she witnessed the honestly happy faces every time they finished their meals.

"If the only thing I can do while I'm hiding out here is cook, then I'll be the best damn cook they've ever seen!" She hooted to Rose after they denied her access to the building being constructed.

Being kept busy feeding the kind people hiding her also helped the long days with no word from Edward pass quickly. It made her feel useful to Ed because from what Rose had told her of Ed and Al's last visit to Liore, the alchemist desired the town to be free of the tyrant controlling it. He wanted Liore to thrive. If making meals for those rebuilding the city helped Liore thrive, then in a tiny way, she was also helping him. It was the only thing she  _could_ do.

Alphonse, Hoenheim, the chimeras and the Brigg's men all worked very hard. Dr. Marcoh and Scar as well. Even the whiny Yoki did what he could when he didn't sneak away to cry about all the harsh, forced labor. All of them had blended in quite well with the people here and had earned their respect too. Winry felt safe that no one would give up their location to the military, or heaven forbid that monster Kimblee.

"Hey!" Alphonse's ever cheerful voice brought her back from her soup-induced daydreams. She met his red gaze but kept stirring the pot.

"How's it going today, Al?" She hoped he'd answer with news about Edward.

"Really well!" He took a seat at the food seller's stall and waved at Rose who tended a rack of baking bread in the back. "Dad and I finished rebuilding the school...with alchemy."

"Are you sure you should be doing that? I mean, I thought you said that would bring attention here?"

"Well, the others promised that they would all say they did it overnight if anyone asked...and they were so tired of working so hard with very little to show for it. If their children can start going back to school, it would bring some normalcy to their families so we decided to just do it."

"Ok, if you all think it will be all right." She didn't sound so sure.

"Anyway, Scar and Dr. Marcoh are planning to leave us for a while, if anything comes up, we could blame it on them and deflect the curious." He chuckled. "They told us that was ok."

"Where are they going?"

"I'm not sure, but they said it had something to do with the reverse transmutation circle we found in the notes back in Briggs. I'm just happy that we have a plan. We just have to hide out until this  _Promised Day_  in the spring."

"Al..." She chose her words carefully so as not to make Al think there was any more meaning in them than just concern. "Any, any word on Edward?"

"...No." The soul-in-armor lowered his head. "Nothing." Working hard and using his strength to help rebuild also made Alphonse's days go fast and the faster they went, the less time he had to worry about Brother. He even took to working all night, just to keep busy when it was quiet. Not being able to sleep and just sitting made him too sad. Working kept him from going insane wondering if Edward was alive or dead. In his heart, he knew – just like he knew when Ed and Ling were swallowed by Gluttony – his brother was alive. Ed promised him he'd not do anything stupid because he knew the cost was just too great.

"Oh." She didn't even try to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Winry..." Changing the subject helped mask the boy's grief. "I need to tell you...the workers are probably going to have to stop for a while."

"Why's that?" Rose interrupted and stood next to Winry.

"Well, they are expecting rain, lot's of it."

"That's not unusual. Although Liore's pretty dry most of the time, I remember lot's of big storms happening this time of year. It will actually be a blessing."

"We plan on working until the rain makes us stop." Alphonse got up to leave the girls to their kitchen. "I just wanted to give you a head's up."

"Thanks, Al!" Winry smiled her best smile and waved at the steel-boy as he walked away. "We'll be prepared!" She turned to Rose. "Ok, we need to make this food portable, we still need to feed people if it rains." Her blue eyes shone with determination.

"Right!" Rose found a tablet and pencil and began making a list. "I'll have to scrounge up containers...oh! We could make sandwiches!" Winry began pilfering through their supplies.

"Geesh, I never was good at baking bread...just have to figure it out!" Winry tightened her apron strings and the girls went to work.

* * *

The cold weather arrived as predicted and with it rolled black clouds and swift winds. The wind speed accelerated until anything not tacked down went flying. Even before the cold rain and sleet fell, the workers decided it was just too hazardous to be out when objects had the potential to fly into their heads. Wearily, they made their way back to their homes. Winry and Rose noticed this from the food seller's stand.

"Get your hot sandwiches!" Rose waved a homemade bun filled with hot savory vegetables and precious little shreds of meat which were wrapped snugly in carefully folded wax paper. "Take them to your families!" Winry busied herself bringing trays filled with these hot stuffed loaves out as the crowds started to line up and Rose passed them out.

"Miss Rose, Mis Winry!" The smooth voice of Van Hohenheim carried above the heads of the shorter men in line. "I would ever be so grateful if you could give me two..." His stomach growled so loudly, the men around him stopped to stare.

"Mr. Hohenheim, you know we can't, everyone get's one so everyone can get fed." Winry winked as she handed the warm bun to Ed and Al's father.

"I'll just have to eat up the sight of you two beautiful young women." He cooed as the girls giggled. "Alphonse, can you escort the girls home when they are done here? This weather is turning sour." The bespectacled man held out his right hand, palm up as the rain started to fall.

"Right, dad!" Al hopped the bar and stood crouched down in the stand to give out food so they could leave earlier. "You don't mind me staying at your house tonight, do you, Rose?"

"Not if you help us get this out faster so we can leave." The brunette chuckled. "I'd be honored to have you protecting us tonight."

"Me, too, Al" Winry cleared off her tray and grabbed another.

Finally, all the people had been fed. The girls stacked up the trays in the sink but were too tired to wash them tonight. They agreed on arriving earlier in the morning to take care of them and to serve soup and quick biscuits the next day. Hopefully the rain and wind would die down.

Grrrrrowwwwl!

Winry's stomach launched its own protest at feeding others first. "Rose, do we have any left?"

"I don't think so." She sighed. "I have some tinned tuna fish and crackers back home, it will have to do." She hung her apron up on the hook and took the mechanic's as well.

"Wait! Look under the bar!" Alphonse's keen soul-eyes found a dropped and discarded loaf, still tightly wrapped and well preserved. He plucked it up and handed it to Rose.

"It's not much halved, but I'll make some tea and spread some jam and butter on those crackers." She smiled and took the morsel.

"That sounds wonderful!" Winry took Al's gloved hand and led him and Rose out the back door and they began their soggy, windblown walk to Rose's apartment.

Alphonse made the girls walk in front of him as the wind blew against his back. This helped deflect the rain and objects flying in their direction. As they turned the corner, they approached one of the job sites that was nearest Rose's home.

"That's where Jerso and Yoki are working." He pointed to a crumbling structure. "It's going to be a post office. Those two are doing the demolition on it but had to stop because of the weather." He ushered the girls past the beat up exterior wall.

"That will be nice, maybe I can get some letters back home to Granny soon..." Winry sighed thinking about Granny Pinako and that the poor woman must be worried sick about her and the Elric brothers.

"Yeah." Al and Winry turned the corner and cleared the wall, but Rose lingered. She placed her hand on the stone as the rain fell harder and the wind howled.

"This actually used to be the library..." Before she could say another word, the two story wall started to shake. The violent winds sent debris crashing down on the sidewalk around them. The wall started to tumble.

"Rose!" Winry was closest to her friend. Without thinking, she launched her body at the girl, pushing her aside as the stones fell.

Alphonse watched in horror as the side of the structure collapsed and he also jumped forward. Knowing he was just too far away to get the girls to safety, he hoped that his steel body could at least protect them from the crushing rubble. Unfortunately, he felt that horrible familiar sensation of his soul blacking out as he did during the blizzard in Briggs. Before his body landed on the concrete and the rubble began to pile up, everything went black.

Lightning struck and the rain fell on the pile of stones and concrete that used to be the Liore's library.

* * *

The East City night sky shone cloudless and star filled as the not-so-merry band of outlaws tried to rest their road weary bones from traveling across Amestris. The moldy, old motel room they all shared was pitch dark except for the moonlight bursting through the grimy, curtain-less window. Although sparse and bare, the room was large, too large for the single coal burning stove to heat properly in the late winter cold. The three gave up trying to keep the stove lit and let the last sooty ember die down hours ago. The only thing protecting them from the night's chill were piles of coats and blankets.

Darius and Henkel's bodies sunk into separate full beds and fog puffed from their noses and lips with each breath or snore – evidence of the freezing temperature of their room. Although each chimera offered to share a bed with the young alchemist, Edward couldn't stomach any close contact with the burly men, although, as cold as he was right now, he sort of regretted that decision. His frozen body trembled with pain.

A dream, such a terrible dream shattered his sleep. It wasn't a foreign dream, in fact, the he'd had it in one version or another since his anesthesia wore off in the shady North City doctor's office. It started out with visions of Resembool in the spring. His mother hung laundry on the line as he, Winry and Al ran down the hillside. He was barefoot and enjoyed the feeling of cool, green grass between the toes of his now nonexistent left foot. Suddenly, it began to rain and the rain fell mercilessly on the children as they tried to run back up the hill to the safety of the Elric home. The rain turned to snow and when Ed looked up at Winry and his brother, they were grown to their current ages and Al was now in armor. He looked to his left and felt his stomach curdle as the monster Solf J. Kimblee stood in his bastard-white suit with his arms outstretched ready to transmute. Ed yelled. He yelled at Kimblee to stop and he yelled at his Brother to protect Winry. The Red Lotus Alchemist brought his tattooed palms together and created a rippling in the earth that traveled under Ed's feet harmlessly and continued on toward the boy's only family. Al turned and stood still as stone with Winry, still dressed in her winter coat from Briggs just behind him. The explosion obscured them and Ed no longer saw anything but fire and smoke. While the evil monster laughed the boy's efforts, Ed looked for his brother and friend only finding bits and pieces of Al's destroyed body and blood – lots of Winry's red blood everywhere. Edward always woke up at this point.

The alchemist was sure the dream represented his insecurities: one, he didn't know if he could save Amestris; two, he didn't know if Al made it to the Fort to warn Winry and the rest. However, deep in his gut, he felt Alphonse lived. Ed blamed that feeling on his link with Al's soul in the gate, but didn't know for sure. He clung to that feeling because as long as Al lived, he wouldn't let any harm come to Winry.

He raked his left hand through his dirty fringe and rolled over on his automail arm, hoping his body heat would warm up the cold metal and the young alchemist tried to get back to sleep.

* * *

The mechanic awoke bitterly cold. Icy water poured from the cracks and crevices of the slabs of mortar and brick pressing on her body. She felt her heart beating wildly as she tried to see in the dimly lit hole that kept her upper body from being crushed. In the dark, her eyes finally adjusted and she could make out the blood-red sigil that Alphonse wore on his metal shoulders, the crucified serpent.

"Al?" It shocked Winry to hear her voice. The name came out so faint and scratchy she was sure he'd never catch it. She tried again. "A,Al?" Her lips shivered and were not able to form the words perfectly or in a volume the boy would be able to hear.

She tried to move and discovered that her head was pinned down on the ground on what was the concrete road, although she could raise it about three inches or so. Her left arm was trapped beneath her chest and obviously broken. Her right arm was outstretched in the small void and unharmed. Winry tried to reach Alphonse but missed his arm by a few inches. He did not move. She slowly moved her arm back to her right side and discovered that the concrete held her down at an angle with her lower body on the sidewalk from her hips down, and her upper body faced downward onto the road. She raised her eyes without lifting her head and could tell that Al was laying on his chest and his steel body was holding up a slab of the library wall and keeping it from crushing her further. She could tell its weight had already crushed in a good portion of the boy's back. She winced at the thought that his blood seal could have been destroyed.

Winry couldn't move her legs. It worried her for a minute but she also felt little to no pain. Her brain ran through all the medical reference books she'd read and she discovered that she most likely was in shock. Shock was good. It kept her from feeling her crushed lower half but it also worried her. The freezing cold rainwater and the shock could make her heart stop. No. She was not going to let herself die this way. No fucking way. This was so stupid! She could have died at Kimblee's hands. She could have frozen to death escaping the fort! Winry wasn't going to let a freak accident kill her off! The thought of all those people who depended on her, all her automail clients,. Granny, and most importantly, of Ed being upset at her death made her body hurt worse than the injuries. She gathered up all her strength and yelled.

This time, someone heard her.

"Miss Rose, right here?" Van Hoenheim and a group of men including their chimera friends gathered around the rubble.

"Yes!" Rose screamed. "Winry pushed me out of the way just in time. Please help her!" She frantically wished the man use his alchemy to lift the huge stones. "Alphonse is there too. Please help!"

"I see." Van adjusted his glasses, wiping rain droplets away so he could see clearly. He knelt down to the base of the rubble and the stones startled to tremble and as a movie reel played backwards, they rose back into their original form, perfectly restored. There in a pool of water, Winry lay silent with Alphonse in front of her. "Get a stretcher! One for them both!" He ran to the girl, knowing that his son's body could not be injured. Al also told him of his blackouts in Briggs so the alchemist hoped the boy suffered one right now.

Van Hohenheim knelt by the girl and placed his hand on her cold right arm so she'd know someone was there. "Winry?" He wiped her soaked bangs out of her eyes. "We've got you. Can you hear me?" The old alchemist wrapped his trench coat around her, effectively warming her body and allowing the shock to dissipate.

"It hurts!" The pain swept through her with such a force she prayed to lose consciousness. Despite the knives shooting through her legs and hips, the girl refused to let any tears fall. She was not going to cry. This was just too stupid to cry over. She had promised Ed, after all.

* * *

"Dr. Marco and Scar are gone." Rose sighed and wiped Winry's sweaty brow with a cool cloth.

"I know." Hohenheim gazed upon the broken body resting on the improvised hospital bed. "We have very little medical supplies. They are getting another doctor to help." Winry screams broke through their hushed voices.

"She won't cry. Not a tear." Rose let her own tears fall freely. Winry had pushed her out of the way and took the full weight of the wall. "How can she be so strong?"

"Her body _isn't_  strong. If we don't do something quickly, she will not last the hour." He lowered his head. "I'm sure that her pelvis and legs are crushed." The blonde screamed again and her thrashing uninjured right arm smacked Rose away.

"She can't die!" Rose stood to face the old alchemist. "No! She's not supposed to die! It's not fair!"

"Life never was intended to be fair, Miss Rose." He set his strong hand on Winry's forehead to keep her still as she suffered. Hohenheim leaned down with his hand still on her head and he brought his lips to her ear. "Winry? Why won't you cry?" She hollered her answer, then choked and uttered her words clearly.

"I promised him I wouldn't. I told HIM I wouldn't cry until he and Al came home. Until they both had their bodies back." She ground her teeth. "He told me, the next time...I'd cry tears of joy!"

Hohenheim's eyes lit up as he realized this girl was talking about his eldest son, Edward.  _She loved him_. If Ed told her that, he probably loved her too. Nothing could have warmed his old heart more than the thought if his child and the child of Urey and Sarah Rockbell creating a family together. That's all the motivation he needed and he wanted to see what this girl, the girl that could be with his son was made of. "Winry, I can help you. You have two choices. I can reconstruct your crushed bones, muscles, joints, tendons and vessels. But, as this injury took a second to create, unfortunately the opposite is true in order to undo the damage."

"Do it!" She screamed.

"You don't understand. It will cause you great pain, more than you are experiencing right now. It will take several minutes to do it correctly and it will hurt immeasurable."

"The other choice?" Winry panted.

"I can take away all that hurts you by severing your spinal cord then reconstruct your lower body. However, I cannot guarantee that I can undo and reconnect the nerves in your spine. You would be left paralyzed or, you could die."

"The first..." She breathed each word heavily. "Do it!" Winry just couldn't risk it. She couldn't risk surviving her injuries and remaining paralyzed. Automail would be no help to her and without an able body, she'd not be able to build the best arms and legs for Edward or anyone else. She'd fail them – she'd fail everyone. She'd fail Ed. No, that wasn't an option.

Hohenheim smiled as he righted his body and removed his hand from the girl's head. "I'm glad you said that." He turned to Rose and the doctor who just joined them in the room. "Rose, please check on my son."

"Are, are you sure?"

Van nodded and Rose slowly backed out of the room.

"You, please help me restrain her so she moves very little." The doctor didn't understand what this man was doing, but he did understand that very little of his medical training would save the poor blonde girl on the table so he felt obliged to try what the alchemist wanted. They took a sheet and ripped it into thick strips and began binding Winry to the table. Van gently placed his hands on the girl's chest and blue alchemical sparks started to flicker around her body.

* * *

Alphonse slowly regained consciousness and the black nothingness that surrounded him opened up to the bright interior of an unfamiliar room. Winry's screams assaulted his hearing next.

"Winry!" He remembered the falling wall. He remembered he was no where close to keeping her from being crushed. Al tried to move but soon discovered that his body had been disassembled. He saw the oncoming shoes and skirt of Rose Thomas as she hurried to his side.

"Al! I'm was so worried about you!" She picked up his head and held it so he could see her face.

"Rose! That's Winry! Please tell me what's happening!"

"She's hurt, really hurt." Her tears gave away just how serious the girl's injuries were.

"I need to get to her! Please put me back together!" Alphonse pleaded as the screams continued to waft through the room.

"Alright." Rose placed his helmet on his torso and began gathering up his limbs trying to figure out what went where. "They had to take you apart to carry you back here with Winry." She pulled out a thigh plate and placed it on the torso. More screams carried into the room.

"Rose! Please hurry!" All Al wanted to do was come to Winry's aid.

"Trying!" She found his arms and attached them.

"Quick!" Hand me my other leg!" Al started grabbing his remaining limbs and before too long, the two of them got him back together. "C'mon!" He drug Rose toward the source of Winry's howls.

Al burst through the door to Winry's room with Rose close behind. There, on a bloodied table, the mechanic lay panting but no longer screaming. Hohenheim and another man were busy unwrapping red-stained sheet remnant's from around her body. She let her head fall to the side so she could see him and she smiled and extended her arm, beckoning him to her.

"Winry!" Al closed the short distance and gingerly took Winry's hand. "Dad! What did you do?" He knew some sort of alchemy took place here.

"Calm down, son." Van raised his hands.

"Al...don't worry." Winry closed her eyes, just too tired to keep them open. "He fixed me. I can keep helping you and Ed now." She breathed heavily between each word. "When he comes back with both of you restored, I'll cry tears of joy." Her voice trailed off as she fell asleep, exhausted.

"Dad?"

"She was dying. I used alchemy to repair her body." He placed his hand on her head. "She never did cry, not once, not even through all that pain." He smiled. "She's a remarkable girl...she'll make Edward very happy some day." He started to leave the room, turning to his son one more time. "Don't you think, Alphonse?"

"...um, yeah." He straightened his dented body. "I really do."

"I'll be back in the morning and get those dents out of you." He patted Al's shoulder and walked away..

 

 


	6. Retail Therapy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 11/24/14 A/N: Winry realizes that she's in love with Ed after they put her back on a train for Rush Valley. I really think it's not an accident that she shows up in Briggs in the cutest of all her outfits IMO. But come on, smart as she is, she picks out a freaking DRESS to wear to the coldest place in the country! It has to be a strategic plan on her part to bypass all her smarts for the sake of “looking cute.” Unfortunately, Kimblee is there to pay for it all and he's a creep.

Winry had never seen such a lovely shade of pink or felt softer wool. The mother of pearl buttons shimmered in the bright sunlight carried easily through the boutique’s large display window. She fingered the thick fabric only to discover a thicker lining of fuzzy shearling. Her strong hands took each sleeve and held them apart to more deeply admire the garment. She found the price tag hanging from the right sleeve and brought it up to see if she could afford it. 

“Woah.” Nope. It was three times as much as she wanted to pay. 

“Is there something wrong?” Kimblee sidled up beside the girl after quietly watching her shop for cold weather gear for their trip to Briggs Mountain. The psychopath took irrational pleasure in witnessing Winry Rockbell flitter about the woman's dress store gathering items to keep her warm in icy Briggs. Something about the pureness and innocence of her taking great delight in picking out the perfect outfit to wear to see the Elric Brothers, specifically to see Edward Elric gave him an intense hard-on.

“It's exactly what I need...” She meant 'What Ed would like.' “But it is so expensive.” 

“Dear, you are charging this as a business expense to Major Elric's account and I am sure he would want you to be warm.”

“Yes, I'm sure he would.” Winry smiled and plucked up the coat on its hanger and skipped to the large mirror to try it on. She didn't notice the man in white returning to the plush, high-back chair to resume his watch over her. “Oh, It's so warm!” The garment fit her the same as if Edward transmuted the fabric on her body- perfect. Her cheeks felt flush wondering if the alchemist would finally consider her 'cute' when she showed up unannounced in this coat. The memory of him saying there was no comparison between her and Lieutenant Hawkeye flooded her brain and she also wondered if Ms. Riza would wear a coat like this too. “I'm getting this.” She tossed a happy smile at Mr. Kimblee.

“Go ahead and give it to the clerk to ring it up.” He showed all his teeth when he smiled. Kimblee was sure when the girl had all she needed and they returned to their hotel and he was finally alone in his room, he'd have to either take care of himself or call the concierge and ask for a “gentleman's escort.” to be sent up fast. He wasn't so much excited by the young girl- no, he wasn't a pedophile, but it was the anticipation of presenting her to the Elric Brothers that made him deliriously excited. The poor girl had no idea she was his captive. Kimblee wanted to be right in Edward Elric's face when this cheerful flower is presented to him, he wanted to see the boy's eyes as the brat realized The Red Lotus Alchemist was dangling both the philosopher's stone and this precocious girl's safety just out of his reach. 

“I'll need some tall boots as well...don't get any high snows in Resembool, that's for sure.” Winry, for her part, just wanted to help out Ed. The Fuhrer's emissary found her in Rush Valley and pleaded with her to come service Edward's automail while he was in Fort Briggs. Kimblee worried her at first, but he came with a handwritten request from kind King Bradley himself so all fears or doubts fled her. After all, a few weeks ago she realized she loved Edward Elric, the idea smashing into her head like the warm breeze coming into the open train car window on the trip back to Rush Valley. Didn't Ed scream at her the next time he made her cry that they'd be tears of joy? Yes, he did! 

“Oh, this is cute!” She found a black woolen dress with thick tights to match. Yup, she was going to be as cute as she could when she saw Edward next, and she was sure she could do the work on his automail wearing that dress.

“Fine.” Kimblee rolled his eyes wondering just how she though a dress and tights was appropriate cold weather attire for Briggs. She'd freeze to death, but that wasn't his problem. He just had to get her pretty face and glistening blue eyes in front of the Elric boys. He was sure her earrings would give her frostbite too. A wondrous tickle rose from his lower stomach and he saw the image of her dead body splayed out on the snow with petite splatters of crimson all around the frozen white and the sunny gold of her hair. And, the Erics were there to witness it. He imagined their terror, their anguish and it left him painfully aroused. He had to take care of that or there would be an embarrassing situation in this dress shop soon.

“Miss Rockbell?” The alchemist stood and picked up his heavy white coat and hat from the rack nearest his chair. He sauntered over to the counter, wiggling his leg just so slightly so his dick would fall into place without anyone noticing. He tried to regulate his breathing and take care of his unfortunate bodily response. It must be this girl, because he never got this horny over the fun in Ishval. 

“Yes?” She had piled up all her clothing and a nice pair of brown leather boots on table for the sales lady to ring up the total bill. 

“I must excuse myself, I have business to attend to.” He placed the snow-white fedora on his head as he spoke, the image of calm and cool. “You can make your way back to the hotel?” He knew she could.

“I sure can!” Winry almost sing-songed the answer. “I have to stop by the machine shop in town and get some supplies for my case too and I can meet you for dinner at the restaurant if you want.” The girl didn't know a soul in North City and despite Kimblee seeming off to her, she really didn't want to dine alone. 

“I am sorry.” No. He couldn't stomach a meal with this pure girl, he just wanted to imagine watching her die as the Elric's watched...and masturbate a little or find a whore to fuck. “I have business that will keep me out late, but you go ahead and charge it to your room, the military will take care of that bill too.” He tipped the brim of his hat and before she could respond, Kimblee exited the shop.

“Wow, he's a handsome one.” The clerk finished calculating the total bill and smiled as she wrapped up the clothing in nice boxes. “Your fiancee?” Sure this girl was a lot younger than the man, but ladies married young in this day and age so it wasn't entirely off base to assume.

“No ma'am.” Winry smiled as she filled out a card with information for the store to have her goodies delivered to the nice hotel before they left for Briggs. “I guess I'm working with him right now.” 

She had no idea.


	7. Crucial Conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1/1/14 A/N: Happy New Year! I was inspired to write this from an online management training course I HAD to take at work. Yes, it was yucky but I guess I learned a little because all I could think of was this story.

"Ed!" Pinako Rockbell's patience had grown thin. That former shrimp boy better explain himself or she was going to put some fantastic hurt on him. "Get down here!" The elderly woman took a deep breath and readied herself for this crucial conversation with the blond boy, her surrogate grandson.

Thud!

She crinkled her nose at the sounds coming from the floor of Winry's room. Next came scampers and thumps sounding suspiciously similar to a herd of sneaking elephants. She frowned. "Those kids think I'm oblivious!"

It wasn't the first time she'd interrupted an amorous encounter between her granddaughter and the former Fullmetal Alchemist. The day before, she was washing dishes and glanced out the kitchen window to see the two holding hands as they strolled down the dirt road toward town. Earlier still, she walked into the living room and caught them in a kiss. Pinako didn't think their affection progressed farther than innocent encounters, but it still worried her.

"Hey, Granny." Alphonse, as cheerful as ever, smiled his way toward the table and plopped down two train tickets. "I got them."

"Your ticket for tomorrow and Ed's for next week?" She was so proud of Alphonse. His body recovered and he endured two years of painful physical therapy to be able to stand here whole again.

"Yup. First I want to go visit Mrs. Hughes and Elicia in Central and then make my way to Xing." Al couldn't hide his excitement.

"He's going to be lost without ME!" Ed's confident voice carried into the kitchen.

"I think he'll be just fine." Pinako took in Ed's appearance: his hair was coming out it's ponytail and he looked like he'd run here from the train station.

"Still, I am a bit nervous…it's my first trip by myself since getting my body back." The boy's smile radiated his sweetness.

"Yeah, but he'll not have as much fun as I will in the West." Ed pulled a chair back from the table and began fingering the train tickets.

"I'll probably not get in as many fights as Brother…" Al snickered.

"Shhhh, don't say anything about fighting." Ed shushed his brother. "You'll worry Winry if she heard."

"Speaking of Winry, there's something I wanted to talk to you about, Edward." Pinako sat down and tapped the old ashes out of her long pipe. "That's why I called you downstairs."

"Winry?" Worry covered his red face as the younger Elric turned to leave the kitchen. Ed suddenly really wanted his brother to stay.

"Um, I'll leave you two alone." Al slowly edged his way toward the stairwell. "I'll see what Winry's doing, upstairs." He totally ignored his older brother's eyes pleading with him not to go. Alphonse sort of knew what Granny was going to discuss with his brother-it was a conversation he, himself had with Edward but his brother's stubbornness to heed his good advice left the problem to linger. Al knew Granny wouldn't be so kind in her quest for the answer either.

"Edward." Pinako waited until Alphonse was out of sight and until Ed had sweated some. She packed her pipe with fresh tobacco and pulled out a match. "We need to talk."

"Yeah?" God this old woman made him nervous when the topic was her granddaughter.

"I've had a very serious conversation…well, SEVERAL important conversations with Winry about you." She lit the tobacco and took several puffs, then she exhaled the smoke leisurely.

"You, you have?" Winry never mentioned Granny talking to her about him. Not that they talked to each other much in the past few weeks since he and Al decided to start traveling again. Most of the time they were alone, they spent, well, ENGAGED with each other a bit. He grinned as he though about their exploits.

"Ed!" She whacked him on the head with her pipe, breaking his daydream. "As I was saying, I've noticed you and Winry and I've had a talk with her."

"Am I in trouble?" He really didn't know where this was going.

"That depends." She blew smoke across the table at the young man. "I need to know your intentions with my granddaughter." There, it was out.

"In…intentions?" What the hell did this old woman want? He began sweating more.

"Yes." She calmly leaned toward him. "I've seen you two frolicking around here holding hands… _kissing."_

"You, you saw?" Edward never remembered his own hands ever being so moist. He wiped them on his brown trousers. "I can, I can explain."

"Edward, you don't need to. I've watched the both of you over the years. I know how much the affection between you and Winry has grown. It's only natural." She took another puff. "But Winry has important work to do, work she's put off for two years to be here in Resembool."

"Hold up!" Ed didn't like where this was going. He sure as hell didn't make Winry stop her studies in Rush Valley. He couldn't  _make_ her go back once she saw how much help Alphonse needed with his rehabilitation. "Winry made that choice herself!"

"That's true, but it wasn't just for Alphonse that she stayed here…" Her eyebrow arched as she took in Ed's shocked expression. He evidently never realized this fact.

"No." He slunk in his chair. "I, I never wanted her to give up her dreams."

"You're a good boy, Edward." Pinako didn't want to make him feel bad, she really knew that Winry did this of her own accord, but she felt that Ed needed to know it was for BOTH the Elric brothers, not just for Al. "But, before you go run off to the West, you need to figure out what Winry means to you and what you want for her…and YOU."

"What I want for her?" He scrunched his eyes together in thought. He wanted to be with Winry, every day. He wanted to never let her go. He wanted to have fights with her and make up. He wanted to see her open her own automail shop and he wanted brag about her success. He knew he fell in love with her a long time ago, but never figured out just HOW to tell her.

"You've never told her, Edward. And now, you're going to leave for who knows HOW long." She gave him a hard look. "Do you expect her to wait for you again? She's waited her whole life for you, you know."

He couldn't answer. It hurt him, but it really was the ugly truth- he'd never verbalized just what she meant to him. Surely she knows? He'd tell himself this every time Alphonse would poke and prod him to tell her.

"I know Winry, I think she'll wait for you…but, what if someone else comes along…while you're gone and you've never TOLD her how you felt." The old woman smiled, her evil seed planted in the young man's brain.

"S,s,someone else?" Ed never considered THAT. There weren't many young men in Resembool, but Winry was already planning on returning to apprentice under Mr. Garfiel in Rush Valley. There certainly _were_  enough eligible men there…some with more automail…some that MADE automail... Pinako and Al were right, he had to make his intentions known to Winry. He had to give her something so she'd know how he felt and she'd wait for him to return.

"That's all I wanted to tell you." She stood, still puffing on her pipe, very satisfied in herself. Ed's faced told her all she needed to know, that he suddenly feared losing Winry. "That and …"

"Yes, Granny?"

Whack!

The frying pan came out of no where and came in contact wit his face. The old woman grinned hysterically as stars circled the young man's head and he slowly came back to his senses.

"Quit fooling around with her in MY HOUSE!"

* * *

The next day, Alphonse prepared to leave for his travels and spent the morning packing and talking privately with Edward. When it was time to go, he reminded his older sibling to tell Winry he loved her, to make her a promise like he did at the train station years ago. Edward said he'd try, that he'd been thinking about what to say to her all night. The brother's hugged and then made a their own promise to each other to meet here again soon to share their research.

"Al, let me carry some of your luggage to the station." Ed reached for the biggest suitcase but was stopped by his brother's hand, swatting his away.

"Brother, no." Alphonse smiled sadly. "I want Winry to walk me there, if that's all right." He didn't want to hurt Edward but not only did he not think he'd be able to leave without breaking down if Ed watched him go, but he wanted to have a crucial conversation with Winry too.

"Are, are you sure?"

"Yeah. You're not mad are you?" His amber eyes searched his brother's face for any sign of hurt.

"No way, I've spent enough time with your ugly mug this morning…I guess I can give Winry ten minutes with you." He grabbed Al in a big bear hug. "Just keep yourself safe, and write when you can and LEARN a lot about alkahestry." He pulled back and held his brother by his shoulders at arms length.

"You can count on it!" Al put his hands on his brother's shoulders in return. "And you do the same about Western alchemy…and Ed?"

"Yes?"

"Stay out of trouble!" Al chuckled. "And you better talk to Winry before you leave!"

Ed's face turned red at the mention of his mechanic. "I'll, I'll do something, I promise."

"You better." Alphonse slung a duffel bag over his shoulder and picked up two suitcases and he started off for the door of their shared room. "I'm aching to be a best man in a wedding…" He turned his head to wink at Edward and was rewarded by the elder Elric's wide eyes and bright red face. "Winry!"

* * *

Winry insisted on carrying some of Al's luggage and he protested, after all, he had fully recovered from his time inside the gate and was quite proud of his strength now. Not to be thwarted, the girl silently grabbed his heavy duffel bag while Al was hugging Granny goodbye and when he noticed, there was no way she'd relinquish the item back to him until they got Resembool Station. He slung one suitcase over his shoulder much like Brother used to on their travels, and carried the other by the handle. Al and Winry walked slowly in the brisk morning air.

"Al?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you and Ed really have to go?"

"Yeah…there's still so much for us to learn so we can help people harmed by alchemy." He turned to see her sad eyes. "Just like there's so much for YOU to learn back in Rush Valley."

"True…" She knew he was right but still was so sad the boys were leaving her.

"I know you've put your own education off for me, these past years…and for Edward." He wanted her to know how grateful he was to her for helping him recover. "I'll never be able to repay you for that…that and all the years you took care of Brother and I on our journey to get our bodies back…you never ever doubted we'd do it." He stopped suddenly and let his luggage fall. "Damn," He thought, "this is harder than if it were Brother."

"I knew you'd find what you were looking for…I knew you'd save the country." She stopped walking when she didn't hear Al's footsteps anymore behind her. Suddenly, two warm, strong arms were wrapped around her in a tight hug.

"Thank you." He couldn't stop the tears from falling down his cheeks and staining the crisp white cotton of Winry's shirt as he rest his chin on her right shoulder. "For saving Brother that night…for giving him an arm and a leg…for taking care of both of us, even with Brother treated you like shit. And, and believing in us." He couldn't stop crying, this girl, no, this  _woman_  stood on the highest pedestal to him, right there with the strongest women he knew: Teacher, Granny Pinako, Ms. Hawkeye, Mrs. Hughes, Miss Ross, and even scary General Armstrong. Winry, these woman and so many other people helped him and Edward in their quest and without all of them, they'd never gotten their bodies back .

"Alphonse Elric!" She turned to face him, her own face full of tears yet stern. "You quit crying, you big baby!" She chuckled and reached up to wipe the tears from his handsome face. "I did what I had to do…I'd do it all again exactly the same." She then wiped her own tears away.

"I know you would…and thanks!" He straightened himself up and sniffed back the crying. "You made me feel so much better, I think I needed a good cry." He hugged her again. "Oh, and one last thing."

"What is it?"

"Brother is madly in love with you." Alphonse's grin spread wide across his face. "He's been in love with you for a long time. He's just stupid and can't figure out how to say it. Just remember that, ok?"

"Oh…ok." Her face turned bright red as Al picked up his suit cases and left her dumbfounded for a minute until she ran to catch up with him.

* * *

A week passed and the former alchemist and current mechanic barely said a word to each other. Both took in Granny's and Alphonse's advice and let those thoughts swirl around in their minds making it hard to talk. They both weren't mad at each other, they just didn't know what to say, how to approach what they felt in their hearts. Pinako tried to get them together so they'd work this out before Ed left: she made them wash dishes and then do laundry together. It sure was awkward watching them sidestep each other in a delicate dance performing their chores together but without actually speaking.

Finally, the morning that Edward was to leave arrived and the big house filled with tension. Ed made a snarky comment to Granny for burning the toast and she replied by making another frying pan come in contact with his head. He yelled a Winry for losing a favorite shirt in the laundry and Winry responded with a flying wrench. All three knew this grumpiness came from his leaving so despite their gloomy moods, they tried not to kill each other.

It was still early morning when Ed's bag was packed and he was ready to go. Unlike his younger brother, who had become a "clothes horse" since getting his body back, Edward managed to pack everything he needed in one suitcase. He wished Al was here to see it and he could rib him some for this accomplishment and for Al having too many outfits. He grabbed his brown trench coat, tugging the drab, grown-up garment on his shoulders. Ed snickered a little wondering when his fashion taste changed from the days of wearing his brash red coat to this "old man" coat, but he rather liked how the trench made him look older…and taller.

"Hey." A small voice carried from the doorway. "Are you ready?"

"Winry?" He turned to see her. She made him gasp as she stood there so beautiful and, well, quite vulnerable looking. "Yeah, I think so." He managed to get out.

"Just one suitcase? Al needed three bags!" She laughed.

"Yeah, he's more fancy than I am with clothes." Edward joined her, chuckling himself at his brother's expense. "Since he got his body back, he's collected quite a few suits. I would have never thought."

"Oh, Ed." She patted his shoulder. "He just wants to make up for all that time wearing just one thing." A cold breeze came in from the open window, it encircled her small frame and raised goose bumps on her bare arms. "Brrrrr." Winry quickly made her way to the window and closed it. It may be spring, but it sure was cold this early. "I'll have to find a jacket to walk you to the station."

"A jacket?" Ed remembered an item he didn't pack to take on his trip. "There's a sweatshirt in the closet if you wanna borrow it." He motioned with his eyes toward the wardrobe.

"Which one?" Winry started rifling through the small closet, first eying his red flamel coat, the one Mrs. Bradley had so kindly mailed back to him several months earlier. "This thing?" She pulled out the red sleeve.

"If you want…but I was thinking of the white one." He wasn't quite sure he could take the sight of her in his red coat, the last time she wore it, he'd wrapped it around her after he'd stopped her from shooting Scar in a Central alleyway. Though, now, she'd probably look quite stunning wearing it…his face felt so warm.

"Here it is." She pulled out the white hoodie he'd worn home that day he and Alphonse finally came home after the Promised Day. She slipped it on relishing his warm scent that still lingered on it. "Let's go!"

"Right." Edward picked up his suitcase and followed Winry downstairs. After saying his goodbyes to Granny, the two made their way toward Resembool Station.

"I think after I get my journeyman's license in Rush Valley, I'll go to Medical School."

Ed stopped at Winry's statement. "Uh, THAT sure came out of nowhere."

"I've thought about it a lot…I'll be like Granny, a surgeon and an automail mechanic, it'll garner top dollar for me."

"How, how long do you think that'll take?"

"Um, let's see, six months to a year to get my license and four or more to pass the medical boards. I don't intend to practice in a hospital so I don't have to intern, but I need the knowledge for automail surgeries."

"Oh." He couldn't say more than that. It surprised him that she'd figured out her life already and made these plans. But what did he expect? He and Al had their own plans too. Ed just hoped that somehow, all three of their plan met in the middle somewhere.

"There's the station!" They made their way to the platform, the train wasn't due for twenty minutes or so. Winry took this time to give Edward a run through on self automail maintenance.

"…I packed the expensive oil…"

"Ok." Edward couldn't take it. He had less than ten minutes to tell her how he felt and even though he had a week to figure it out, he had nothing.

"…don't forget to use it on the inner screws…"

"Yeah." What was he going to say? His face scrunched up making him look mad and he slunk down on the bench, his hands firmly in his pockets. What if she met another man? What if she got caught up in her studies and didn't have time for him anymore?

"…and Granny always says, the less stress you put on it, the better…"

"Right." Damn it! His heart hurt, his stomach churned and he didn't know what to say to her! And, this made him angry. He started to sweat. This was worse than any battle with a homunculus. At least he understood his enemy, his opponent when physically fighting, but this was WINRY for fuck's sake, she made him feel clueless and so helpless. He hated feeling helpless.

"…and don't forget to dry it off when you get out of the tub…"

"Fine." Now or never, Elric. He felt the unmistakable vibration of the approaching train along with the booming steam whistle announcing its approach.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Of course I am." Now, Ed, do it now!

"There's your train!" She stood up with such excitement that he didn't quite understand. She watched him pick up his suitcase slowly and make his way to the open door, steam billowing all around them. "And when you need a tune up, be sure to call first and make and  _appointment_."

"An appointment?" The hell? She still expected him to make an appointment? Wait. "Appointment? A promise." He spoke so softly she couldn't quite hear.

"What?

"Equivalent Exchange!" He turned on his automail foot, pointing at her and yelled so loudly, she was sure the conductor heard it. "I'll give you half of MY life, if you give me half of YOURS!" There, he finally said it. Sure it was an alchemical reference to a marriage proposal, but Winry was smart, he knew she'd understand. Her shocked face and sharp intake of breath told him that he was correct.

* * *

Edward left for the West relieved that he had HIS crucial conversation with Winry and she accepted…at least he thought that's what happened, his nerves still frazzled after telling her he loved her in his own way. Yeah, he was stupid. Yes, he still mixed up real life with Alchemy, he couldn't help it. What he could help was making sure that this one girl knew how he felt and she knew he'd wait for her if she'd wait for him. That he'd be back, this was a temporary goodbye for the two of them.

Yeah, he'd be back. When he did return, whatever and wherever she was in her own life plans he'd work around them and make  _his_ life part of hers, he'd make their lives work  _together_. This thought made him smile and his face felt warm all over again. The warm thoughts of their future gave him something to strive for, for completing his task and finally coming back home.

.

.

-fin


	8. The Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A letter arrives from the west...though it's not from Edward at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy solstice! This is a companion of sorts to "Fish Fry." :)

When creating new automail, Winry hated linking the teeny tiny wires to the fingertips the most. She had to work behind a large magnifying glass with plenty of light, which meant it had to be done during the day. Sitting still and steady while concentrating on soldering a filament responsible for fine motor movement of a pinky finger often left her shoulders sore and lower back achy. The moment she finished, she left her creation on the work desk and sat back in her chair, stretching her muscles, raising her arms above her head until she heard and felt a satisfying crack.

"Need a break!" The young woman stood and stretched again, then made her way downstairs. She found herself in the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door to retrieve a cold soda. Winry popped the top off on an iron bottle cap popper that Ed installed on the wall when he and Al returned with their bodies restored. She touched the cool metal thinking happily about how much Alphonse enjoyed the carbonated beverage and how Edward indulged his little brother with all the bottles of pop the boy wanted, sometimes going daily to the market to get a six pack. That memory made her smile and she then took a swig of the soda.

"Don't drink 'em all..." Pinako made her way in from their pantry, sporting her woven grape-vine basket containing ripe veggies for their dinner that night.

"I know...thanks for bringing them back from the market, this is my favorite." Winry winked and finished off her bottle, placing it back in the cardboard holder with the full ones. They'd drink the rest then take the bottles back for refund at the next market trip. Maybe she'd ask Gran for orange fizz, that was Ed's favorite. "Hey, whatcha got there?" Winry noticed an ivory envelope tucked in between the squash and tomatoes in Granny's basket.

"This?" Pinako pulled out the item and handed it to her granddaughter. "A letter to Edward, maybe he's on his way back again?"

"Maybe." Winry turned the thick envelope over to see it addressed in neat handwriting to  _Edward Elric c/o Rockbell Automail_. However, it was the return address which piqued her interest:  _Hattie Ann Beckk, Twinsail Town, Aerego._  "Who is this?"

"Maybe a friend he made during his travels?" Pinako adjusted her glasses to read the address. "You should put it on the dresser in his room. I have a feeling he's going to show up soon." She patted Winry's arm, knowing that seeing the female name on the letter caused the girl some worry. The old woman had no uneasiness about the former alchemist's affections toward her granddaughter regardless of the letter writer's gender.

"I suppose." The mechanic took the envelope and slowly trudged up the staircase. She couldn't stop the thoughts of Edward making  _friends_ with another woman while on his trip. "That's just stupid, Winry." She whispered to herself. It was Edward, after all. Ed, the boy who had to recite the periodic chart every time he got too close to her. Ed, the young man who couldn't get on that train without making sure she knew he wanted her to wait for him and he'd wait for her. But still, what if? What if there was another girl just as stupid as she, a girl who couldn't help fall in love with him. Maybe this other girl also found all the stupid things he does charming? Perhaps this Hattie Ann was also an alchemical genius and they had more to talk about or in common than automail?

Winry turned the parchment over in her hand and scrutinized the handwriting of the address. The script rolled and curled, tell-tale evidence of a woman's hand. This caused a welling of concern to start boiling in her stomach, something she hoped didn't overflow into envy of the time this other woman got to spend with Edward and she did not. Winry'd heard too many bad stories about another  _Envy,_ after all...she sure didn't want any part of her emotions to show that.

No. There was just no way Edward would break his promise. He never did before, so why would a new friend, this strange woman cause him to break his fifty percent promise?

"Ugh." She let the letter fall unto the worn wood dresser and she stormed out of the room.

* * *

The loud hissing and banging of her bedroom's radiator brought the girl to wide awake status. She'd had a fretful sleep thus far, so Winry really didn't get upset. Instead, she made a mental note to level the thing in the morning so the water would condense correctly and not cause such a commotion. The mechanic spread out in her bed and stared at the painted tin designs of her high ceiling then gazed toward her french door to see snow falling and settling down on the balcony.

Six months. It had been six months since that early spring day Edward boarded the train for the West. She and Granny received many letters from the young man and a few phone calls came just for the mechanic. Winry smiled at those late night conversations, the young couple exchanged a lot more than  _How-do-you_ -dos while in the privacy of the night. She'd learned that he thought about her often, especially when lonely. She confessed the same. Edward let loose such blatant honesty about being homesick for Resembool and lovesick for  _her_  she believed him intoxicated. He wasn't. Thinking about those moments on the telephone left the mechanic warm and a bit twitterpated.

But, that  _letter_ , that letter lay on his dresser a mere room's width from her bed. The thought of a stranger's words...no, a girl's words to Edward made her feel irrational. Perhaps it was because it'd been a while since  _she_  received a letter from the young man? Maybe, and despite his words of love and hints of wanting them to be together soon, he had romantic feelings for another? Winry lay there on her warm bed, her mind stewing in the maybes and what-ifs until she couldn't take it another second.

"Damn it!" She threw her covers off and sat up, the cold night air chilling her soft skin as she fumbled with her feet trying to make contact with the warm house slippers somewhere next to her bed. Finding them, she scooted quietly down the hall, slipping into the boys' bedroom and snatched the letter from his dresser. Winry looked up and down the hallway, making sure Gran didn't catch her theft. The coast was clear. She sailed down the stairs hoping to figure out a way to open the thing, re-seal it so no one would be the wiser.

Winry made her way into the kitchen and plunked down at the table, letting the letter rotate in her skilled hands as she thought of ways to compromise the paste seal without tearing the paper. The large copper kettle caught her azure gaze and the image of boiling steam escaping the spout popped into her head.

"Steam!" She realized that steam would loosen the glue enough for her to open the envelope, read the letter, then reseal it with paste she had in her workshop. Once the paper dried, no one would know...hopefully. Winry didn't dare use the tea kettle...the whistle blew so loud, Granny would surely hear it and come down to investigate. No, she just needed a pot of boiling water to do the trick. The girl found a small saucepan in the lower cupboard. After filling it halfway with water from the tap, she placed it on the gas stove and lit the burner.

There's meaning in the old saying, "Watched pots never boil." The longer Winry stood in front of the stove, the more she felt the water never would start rolling and tumbling. The girl fidgeted and squirmed, waiting for the liquid to start boiling, when at long last, steam started to rise. The mechanic brought the letter over the now tumbling liquid and angled it so that the seal met most of the steam.

"Whatcha doing?"

The male voice behind her carried tones of mirth and happiness. It ferried so loudly she jumped, the letter sailed from her hands, floating gently to the floor before finally settling between two snow-laden black boots. Winry concentrated so intently on the water, she failed to hear the front door opening or these heavy-boots walking through the house until the midnight visitor stood directly behind her...letting snow melt on the kitchen floor.

"Edward Elric!" Winry screamed when she came face to face once again with the letter's intended recipient. The young man stood mere feet from her with his signature cheeky grin growing steadily larger since realizing he'd caught the girl at an apparent "no good." She had to turn the tables...and get that letter. "You've tracked in half the snow in Resembool!" The mechanic tried to scoot from him and made haste to try and grab the mop and pail behind the pantry door.

"Not so fast." Edward caught her by her left wrist and before she could say "boo," Winry was again face to face with him. Only this time, he dangled the letter in his other hand, having snatched it somehow in the split second she had turned her back. "Just what's this?" He turned the envelope, now moist with steam so he could clearly see his name and who it was from.

"Um, I..." She had to think! There had to be a good reason she could come up with for opening his mail. Only, she had nothing.

"Yeah, just what I thought." Edward was clearly amused. However, before he demanded any more answers from the girl, he tugged her to him crushing her in a big, smothering hug. "I'll yell at you later, right now, I'm just too happy to see you." He brought her warm face into his open coat and let his hand, still holding the letter glide down the silky golden expanse of her hair. Winry hugged him back, her strong hands settling underneath the bulky coat. The ex-alchemist sighed contently thinking just how cute his mechanic was, obviously jealous about the letter and curious to see what Hattie Ann wrote. He wondered if he should milk this, after all, Winry always berated him for his bad behavior when they were kids. The young man let thoughts of teasing her flee and decided he'd rather have a nice reunion with the girl he'd promised half of his life too just six months earlier. He chuckled remembering she told him she'd give him her whole life.

"What are you laughing at?" Winry stepped back, a bit irritated that evidently Edward was going to start picking on her again.

"Nothing...just remembering when we said goodbye at the train station..." His cheeks suddenly felt warm and a red blush crept from ear to ear. In that solitary moment, Ed realized that his traveling was done and that part about giving their lives to each other would have to start right about now.

"What in blue blazes is going on down here?" With a click of the switch, the overhead lamp came on and Granny Pinako, clad in her housecoat and fuzzy slippers, sauntered into the kitchen just in time to see the water in the saucepan boil over and put out the flames beneath it. Den barking her lungs off just added the icing to the cake.

* * *

"See?" Edward handed Winry another of the sepia-colored photographs the envelope with his name contained. "Hattie finally had her baby after I left." He smiled lovingly at Hattie Ann and Arnie Beckk, his friends holding a chubby infant. Gracie's going to be their last child, she came as a surprise..." He chuckled because the way Arnie and his wife still carried on with each other, it wasn't so surprising Gracie came at all, not to him at least.

"More tea?" Pinako filled her own mug and retook her place at the kitchen table with her adopted grandson and her granddaughter.

"No, thank you." Edward smiled and leafed through the photographs scattered before them on the table. "I learned so much from Arnie's dad...did you see the SHARK picture I mailed you?"

"Yes, and I also saw YOUR LEG." Winry reminded him, but she was too tired to reprimand him with the wrench on the opposite counter. "I suppose you'll want that looked at." Her weary voice exposed just how sleepy she was. The humongous yawn which escaped her rosy lips sealed the deal.

"It's fine for now..." Edward scooted his chair back and stood, extended his hand to the tired girl. "Granny, I'm sorry for waking you up." Winry took his hand and he winked at her grandmother. "I'll walk Winry to her room and then I think I need some sleep myself." He rubbed his backside. "Coach class still has hard as rock seats, my ass is screaming for the mattress upstairs."

"Ed!" Winry scolded him for cursing as Pinako chuckled and gathered up the pictures, leaving them in a neat pile on the table.

"Go on, I'm right behind you." The old woman mumbled as the young couple made their way upstairs.

"Ed, I'm sorry I tried to open your mail." Winry stopped at her bedroom door, turning to see the blond smiling at her. "I guess, I guess I just wanted to know who was writing you." She reached behind her and turned the knob, opening her door.

"Already forgiven." Ed smiled bigger. He knew she had to have been a little jealous. The girl offered him her own tired smile and turned to go into her room. Once more, the young man caught her by her left wrist and tugged her to his body.

"Edward." She murmured, not wanting to cause Gran to hurry upstairs and catch them. Expecting another hug, Winry nearly collapsed when she felt his lips on her own. She thanked the gods in heaven he hugged her, as some sort of magic happened in this kiss, something she didn't quite understand caused her legs to give out and only his two strong and real arms kept her vertical. Ed finally released her and she desperately clung to the door frame to keep herself upright. The only thing going through her mind, the only word she was capable to utter was, "Wow."

"Win?" Edward searched the girl's eyes, he knew he took a gamble by stealing the kiss and he needed to know if she liked it...was she alright with it? The answer came swiftly and hard as the mechanic responded with her own kiss, this time making the former Fullmetal Alchemist's knees weak.

"Hmmmmm." Pinako cleared her throat as she ascended the stairs, startling the two young people back to reality.

"Uh...ummm, good night, Ed." Winry released the dumbfounded boy quickly and slid into her doorway, protecting herself with her door.

"Yeah...night." Ed stumbled to his own door and fumbled to open it as Granny Pinako walked between them toward her own room.

"I'm sleeping with my door open tonight, kids." She chuckled, not even looking at them. "Tomorrow we'll start working on the wedding plans." Pinako's ears didn't miss the two gasps from the young couple at that last bit. "You two will be happier when you don't have to sneak around me." With that, she stood silently waiting in her bedroom, until she heard two separate doors closing in the hall. The old woman smiled.

-fin


	9. Dippy as Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one's for Valentine's Day. :)

His heart ached and he longed to hear her voice, even if she yelled until his head hurt in equal measure. It wasn't supposed to be like this. They were supposed to be enveloped in happiness once they married. After all, everyone wished them eternal bliss at the wedding, so why did it hurt so much?

 

Edward trudged the soggy streets of Rush Valley feeling lucky that this all came down during the rare rainstorms. The water showered him but failed to wash away any pain. Suddenly, the memory of wilting misery in another rainstorm while in East City whooshed into his mind-the time Nina died then Scar tried to murder him. He had his brother back then, even if Al was till in armor, he was there for him. Now, he was a thousand miles away and useless. Edward never felt so alone.

 

Why were they both so pig-headed and stubborn? It used to be fun, taunting Winry and getting that pre-battle rush of adrenaline. It reminded him of all the physical fights he and Al used to have when he was a State Alchemist. Sure, they often left him broken and bleeding, but he had to admit, fighting could be a thrill. With his wife, it was much more wondrous because after a heated argument, the _making up_ could be just as exhilarating as the fight itself. Ed wondered if he wore a goofy smirk as he strolled the rainy sidewalk, because thinking about his and Winry's special _making up_ sessions left him feeling dippy as hell.

 

He wished he were making up with her right now.

 

“Wait!” He stopped as the falling waters ran rivulets down his face. “Just go home, Elric.” The young man mumbled to himself and turned on the ball of his automail foot and stormed back to their apartment. 

 

Edward began pondering time and relativity because he arrived home much faster than it took to walk away in the first place. His right hand grasped the worn brass door handle, knowing she'd be immediately alerted  to his arrival by the door moving the bell affixed to the lintel. The young man took a deep breath and pushed the door to and then he straightened his shoulders as the bell rang loud and clear. He heard a familiar huff from upstairs. Ed took a deep breath and let the door shut behind him, then sto m ped up the wooden staircase, leaving muddy-wet boot prints as he went. He'd most certainly get another earful from her for the mess, or from Garfiel. 

 

“Did the rain cool you off?” She stood, arms crossed in the open doorway of their apartment on the second floor of Atelier Garfiel, her employer. The young woman's ruddy cheeks and red eyes gave away the fact she'd most likely shed tears over him. 

 

“Yeah, it did.” His stomach lurched, seeing her cry made him hate himself. “I'm sorry.” Edward came closer, invading his wife's personal space. 

 

“Huh?” He never gave us so easily. “Did you catch a cold?” She raised the back of her hand to his clammy, damp forehead. 

 

“No, but...I'm soaking wet, can I come in?” 

 

“Yeah.” She backed into the apartment. Winry wondered when her husband learned to use his big golden eyes to pout instead of staring holes into her when they were mad at each other. He looked rather like a scolded puppy. 

 

“I'll clean up the mud in a little bit.” Edward shucked off his boots at the door and sloshed in wet socks toward the bathroom where he began tugging off his sopping wet clothing. 

 

“I'll help...you won't do it right anyway.” Winry mentally slapped herself for the last jab at her husband. After all, he had apologized. Thankfully, he failed to react to the slur. She narrowed her eyes and watched him undress. The dork didn't even bother to close the bathroom door! The girl snorted because it seemed once they were married, Ed didn't mind strutting around naked in front of her. Someday, someone would pay him a surprise visit and get and eyeful. Still, the mechanic didn't mind the view as her blue eyes traveled down his body from head to toe: tangled-wet hair cascading down his now broad, scar covered back; a well-toned torso; then equally firm... She had to stop eyeballing him this way or she'd stop being mad. Winry glided gracefully across the hardwood floor and past Ed then she grabbed a dry towel off the rack and turned to him. “Towel?” 

 

“Thanks.” Ed took it from her hands and began drying his hair then the rest of his body. Somehow in the few minutes they both stood in the bathroom, he'd managed to remove all of his clothing. The last thing he did with that lucky towel was wrap it around his waist. “Listen...” Ed grabbed her hands and held them. “I'm not even sure what we were mad about...”

 

“I sure do remember.” Winry felt the pang of anger welling up in her belly again. “You wanted to take another long trip, this time to Xing to see Alphonse this summer.” 

 

“Yeah, I do.” He felt her try to tug her hands from his strong grasp but he refused to let go until she heard him out. “But you didn't let me finish...and that's when all the yelling happened.” 

 

“What more did you want to say?” She still tried to free her hands, Ed wasn't going to give in. 

 

“I want YOU to come with me!” He waited for a minute to let it sink in. The young man made conscious effort to move his body closer to his wife as she rolled this idea over in her mind.

 

“No.” She couldn't escape him, he pulled her into a hug. Winry didn't fail to notice her husband's hurt look. 

 

“Why not?” His golden eyes seared through her.

 

“I...I...just can't.” She struggled meekly to free herself, but he held tight. She was also convinced that he gave his enemies that sharp-eyed glare right before he beat them to a pulp. Winry gulped. 

 

“Garfiel and your clients will understand, they all love Al too.” 

 

“It's...it's not that!” The fact he was holding her started to make her angrier and angrier. “Let me go!” 

 

“Not until you tell me why you won't go with me!” 

 

“Fine!” She relaxed her body and sighed then leaned her head on his damp shoulder. “I'm not sure I'll be able to travel with you this summer.” His eyes still burned into her, but held a look of confusion. “I mean, there's something you should know...something I was waiting to tell you until I was sure.”

 

“What is it? Are you sick or something?” Ed started to worry. 

 

“No...no...nothing like that.” She took a deep breath. “Can you, let me go, just for a second?” She felt his warm arms relax around her and she was able to step back from him for a moment. Winry took her husband's concerned face in her hands and made him look her in the eyes. “Listen carefully and promise me you won't freak out.” 

 

“Huh?”

 

“Just promise!” 

 

“Okay...I promise.” Edward nodded in response. 

 

“I won't be able to travel this summer because I'll be really, really really...pregnant.” 

 

“Huh?” Did he hear her right? Did his wife just say she was pregnant? “...with a baby?”

 

“No, Ed, I'll be pregnant with a bear cub.” She watched as the confusion on his face morphed to happiness as he finally understood the ramifications of what she had just informed him.

 

“Winry?” He took her hands and held them to his heart. “Really?” He searched her face for any iota of denial and she smiled back signaling everything she just confessed was true. Before she could answer, Edward grabbed her back toward him, wrapping her in a warm and loving hug. 

 

“You see why I can't travel across the desert this summer?” The young woman rest her head back on her husband's chest just in time to hear his heart beating fast with excitement. “Are you, are you ok...with this?” 

 

“Woman, you never cease to amaze me...of course I'm okay with this!” He felt the need to swing her around, but couldn't because of the confined space. Instead, he rest his right hand under her chin, raising her head so that they were eye to eye. “We can go later on...after.” Edward smiled and then placed a gentle yet firm kiss on her rosy lips. This loving gesture slowly became more and more passionate as his wife raised her arms, wrapping them around his neck and his hands found the rising swell of her backside. 

 

Suddenly, the bathroom became really, really warm. 

 

His towel fell to the floor.

 

“I'm glad, you're happy.” She smirked and slammed the door shut.

 


	10. Loud But Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There, in the now muddy back yard stood two gloriously golden men in their underwear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3/2/15 A/N: I'm sorry, but come on. If you had to watch the grown up Elric brothers fight shirtless, I bet you'd start thinking bad thoughts too. And Winry...she's human after all. :)
> 
> Awesome artwork by http://persnickety-doodles.tumblr.com/ (posted with permission).

 [Artwork by persnickety-doodles](http://persnickety-doodles.tumblr.com)

The young woman never thought she'd be torn between the two of them. She furrowed her brow trying to pick apart one physical aspect that rated one brother higher than the other but found none. Winry obviously loved them both, they grew up together after all. Alphonse as well as Ed knew her hopes and fears and that she really loved Granny's strong coffee first thing in the morning and that she often sneaked downstairs after working late and stole a cookie. Both boys feared her temper but rejoiced in her happiness. She fingered the pairs of silver earrings on her left ear remembering that although Ed gave them to her, both boys picked them out.

Now, they seemed to have been battling each other for the better part of half an hour and the hits got harder earning her delicious masculine grunts after each blow. She wondered how they must be exhausted and why they kept going. Historically speaking, Ed always lost to Alphonse when they sparred, so she figured that's how this outing was going to end. Still, a teeny part of her cheered for him despite the fact that she was supposed to root for Edward because he was her husband.

Winry wondered if it were sinful to enjoy watching the brothers fight. She pondered over their shirtless bodies sweating and coming in contact with each other. Sure, she always acted like it was an annoyance, that being a man meant doing stupid shit like beating your brother up for fun. However, deep inside herself, she knew she watched a piece of moving artwork: muscles rippling and perspiration flinging around as they performed intricate and definitely well-practiced acrobatic acts each trying to wear the other down without actually hurting him.

She scrutinized each young man's form. There was her Edward: shorter than his brother (and she would never say that out loud but they all knew it true) with golden hair somehow still secured into a high ponytail which whipped and whirled serving to distract his foes much like those scarves tied to the ends of spears and swords in the Xingese martial arts exhibits Ling arranged for them to watch; his big golden eyes, eyes she could never say no to, eyes that seared right into the back of your head when he was angry; and his muscled chest which was covered with scars. Some scars she gave him when he had automail and others he received in his journey to get his and Al's bodies back. Though he sometimes acted insecure of out them, Winry adored each one because they all told his story.

Now Alphonse was different. His body suffered malnutrition inside the Gate of Truth for five years. So, even though he rebuilt lost muscle, he remained lean. When he visited, Winry and Granny still offered him food out of habit from the two years fattening him up after the Promised Day. Alphonse was tall, clean cut and muscled. He lacked the hot temper of his brother and often knew exactly what upset her when she was sad and he knew how to cheer her up. Now, he focused on knocking Edward's head off with a powerful roundhouse kick.

"Who's winning?" Pinako's voice scared the girl from her musings on the brother's different physiques and personalities.

"Uh...no clear one yet." She felt a bit guilty for taking in the sight of both the brother's bodies and wondered if this was lust. The herbal smell of her grandma's pipe filled her nose and then a growl rumbled from her stomach reminding her that they were supposed to eat supper when one of the morons won.

"I'm about to call it if they don't finish soon. This old woman's hungry." Granny cackled and sat down on the step with her grand daughter. She may be old but she wasn't dead, those two young men fighting sans shirts were positively lovely. "Winry?"

"Yeah?"

"Just how the hell did you decide you were in love with Edward over Alphonse?"

"G.g.granny?" Winry couldn't believe Pinako asked such a thing. "What do you mean?" The mechanic paused for a moment but only because Ed started getting desperate, leaped through the air and tackled his brother's bare torso dragging them both down. Both women watched wide-eyed as the boys continued wrestling on the ground.

"I'm old but still breathing." She tapped her pipe on Winry's blond head. "Look at them both. Who'd figured they grow up into such fine young men."

"Granny!" Winry blushed at her granny's bold words.

"Really, girl, how did you come to fall in love with Ed?" She continued to watch the boys fight. "Both are equally handsome. Both are smart as a whip. But Al, he's considerate and kind where Ed... well, you know how Ed is."

"Ed's brash and loud." Winry finished Pinako's thoughts for her. "Hot tempered and rude. He likes to pick fights with me all the time." She began to fidget with the hem of her sundress. "He never takes care of my automail, sometimes I think, I think he breaks it on purpose to make me fix it..." The truth of the matter hit her square between her eyes just as Al's fist came down hard on the exact same area of Edward's head. She didn't mean to say it out loud. "I think I chose Ed because he knows how to keep me on my toes."

"Oh, really?"

"I mean, he challenges me – he is _challenging_.  Al doesn't do that." She smiled at the truth, she loved Ed because she and the former alchemist were cut from the same cloth and they loved to make the other think. There never was a dull moment being Edward Elric's wife.

"Truer words were never so eloquently spoken." Pinako stood up and smoothed her apron out. "I think we have a winner!"

"Hey Granny!" Alphonse trudged happily along, with his brother hanging on to his shoulder. "Got some ice? I think I hit Brother too hard." He smiled a big goofy grin, one that Edward tried to imitate but failed as he winced in pain.

"Out back, both of you get the hose and wash up!" She motioned with her hands for the two dirty and sweaty young men to walk around the house rather than drag their muck through it.

"Awwww, Ed whined." He kept presence of mind to wink at his wife as his brother helped him to the improvised bucket shower they had in back of the house by the kitchen door.

"I'll go and get the table set." Pinako pulled the door open and turned. "Bring those two some towels, would you?"

"Sure." Winry followed Granny back inside the house but she continued upstairs stopping at the linen closet. After pulling out two fluffy towels, she thought she'd get them some clean sweats so they'd not have to go upstairs. She cradled the towels and entered Al's room. With all the windows open to catch the cool spring breeze, Winry heard the boys playing with the garden hose outside. Ed's swear words made her blush. Putting her mind back on the task at hand, she set the towels down and opened Al's suitcase. Pushing past his many dress shirts, she finally found a pullover top and sweat pants but as she tugged them from his suitcase, a photograph fell onto the bed.

"Mei?" Winry recognized the diminutive Xingese girl immediately. She carefully replaced the picture back inside Al's suitcase and smiled. Al must have taken a shine to the little princess. Winry quickly scurried back to her and Ed's bedroom and found his clean sweats and she lugged all that back down the stairs and to the kitchen.

"Tell them to hurry up or the stew will get cold." Granny began ladling the lamb stew into bowls already set on the table as her granddaughter brushed past her and kicked open the screened door with her foot.

"Boys! I got some..." The sight before almost caused her to drop the load of clothes and towels she carried. There, in the now muddy back yard stood two gloriously golden men in their underwear. "...towels."

"Uh, thanks, Winry." Alphonse approached her first, tugging a towel free and then finding his shirt and pants. He smiled a bit as he set his clothes down on the steps and began drying his hair.

"Geesh, Win..." Ed smirked and grabbed his things from her. "Take a picture."

"Uh, sorry..." She couldn't believe they caught her gawking at them. "You're just both so...so..."

"Beautiful?" Ed mocked as he dried himself off. "Hey Al, you are I are _pretty_." Both Elrics erupted in laughter.

"No." Winry huffed. "You're both so stupid!" She slammed the door behind her and stormed to her seat at the kitchen table. Pinako joined her.

"Wow, your mood's changed." Granny picked a roll from a basket and passed the basket on to Winry.

"Yeah, well, I remembered why it took me so long to realize I fell in love with one of those doofs in the first place." She grabbed a roll and tossed the basket on the table.

"Oh good!" Ed sauntered inside, closely followed by Alphonse. "Stew!" He plopped down in his chair by Winry and began scooping food into his mouth like he never ate before.

"Wow!" Alphonse joined them. "It's been a good long time since I've had your stew Granny."

"I bet all that spicy Xingese food can't beat this!" Ed spoke with a full mouth earning him a soft kick in his real shin from his wife. "Ow." He glared at her. Quickly swallowing he turned his attention to said wife. "By the way, you, my dear are in trouble." Ed wiped his mouth.

"What?" She threw down her spoon.

"I caught you staring at Alphonse." Edward growled under his breath, speaking so low so only Winry could hear. "So, expect a fight after dinner." He took a swig of his water.

"If you wanna fight, we can fight now!" Winry stood up and threw her napkin on her dishes. Al and Granny only feigned surprise and kept eating their food.

"I think we'd better take this upstairs!" Ed shot up and marched out of the kitchen. He'd been beaten up by his brother and hardly got to eat but another sudden need took precedence and he didn't give a rat's ass who knew.

"I agree!" Winry followed him. Her blue eyes also followed her husband's ass as he stomped up the stairs, stirring her own set of needs. Hot lamb stew in her bowl be damned.

After a moment of eating their food and listening to the shouting match from over their heads, Al was the first to speak. "They're going to have sex, right?"

"Yup." Granny continued eating. "They really do have a happy marriage...loud, but happy."

"Yeah." Alphonse wiped his mouth and thought about a certain dark-haired girl waiting for him in Xing.


	11. Diversion in Drachma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She had to move forward, had to. There was no other choice. She had two good, strong legs, he didn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written on or about Jan 2012 when I briefly lapsed into shipping Winry and Alphonse. Probably my only real sexy-time fic so far and it's not even EdxWin.

She felt so cold. Every joint in her small body ached from the frigid Drachman air and they had just begun. She had to move forward, had to. There was no other choice. She had two good, strong legs, he didn't.

Mustang gave them a map and discouraged them from trying to do this. The military couldn't help, the diplomats and politicians saw to that. Those old men in Central City were too busy prancing around like peacocks, talking, talking, talking but never doing anything. The relationship Amestris and Drachma had was painfully broken enough. The army couldn't march in. But, apparently, they would let a small girl and his brother sneak in and do their job. She didn't hesitate to tell Mustang this before they left.

He was the People's Alchemist for god's sake. HE deserved an army storming in, not his baby brother and his mechanic-girlfriend.

Alphonse's eyes shined with hope every time he looked back at her, she wasn't sure she could make it without him. His tall, muscular body moving in front of her helped deflect some of the icy wind and because of this, she was able to keep up. She worried about Al, he had to be freezing, but he never ever complained.

God damn-it she was cold. She missed him too. She tried to think about his warm body as he held her close, anything to warm up. Why did he have to go NORTH? He said it was a quick trip, he'd be home in no time. That was months ago. Alphonse was the one to get the call that Edward had been kidnapped. He blamed himself for not going with his brother, but Edward insisted he'd be fine, especially since Al was under the weather, convalescing from influenza that summer. Al had felt hurt that Edward took the job without him, they were a team, after all.

They really did made a great team, Ed teaching and Al demonstrating the complex principles of Alchemy that made the Fullmetal Alchemist a household name in Amestris. The Elric brothers lived to teach and research alchemy. Ed, despite not being able to use the craft anymore, thrived through Al's ever growing talent in the art. He beamed when Al mastered new things and they could demonstrate to their students. Pretty soon, BOTH Edward and Alphonse Elric became known as the Fullmetal Alchemists. Unfortunately, the fame that came with their popularity overflowed past the borders of Amestris.

Edward Elric was snatched and smuggled out of the country. Military intelligence came in that he was in Drachma, so Drachma she and Al must go.

"Winry?" He extended a gloved hand back to her. "Are you ok?" His amber eyes could not hide the worry.

"Yeah, just too cold. Any hope of stopping to camp?" She breathed hard, each step through the high snow drifts taxed every muscle in her body. The constant movement probably the only thing from keeping her from freezing to death.

"We can, it is getting dark." He finally stopped walking and turned to her. "Let's see, where's a good spot?" Al scanned the wooded area they traveled. Trees and snow as far as you could see. "I guess here's as good as anywhere."

"Thank, you, Al." She whimpered a little as she fell to a sitting position in the snow.

Alphonse was worried for her and his bother. He worried for Winry for even though she was strong, she was not doing so well in these extremes. He'd have to be on guard for hypothermia. He didn't worry about himself, that was not even in the equation, his body recovered from being skin and bones, stuck behind the Gate to strong flesh and muscle. As for Ed, Al had an inkling as to why they stole him away. Whoever did it aimed for Alphonse, not Edward. Edward couldn't perform alchemy. They didn't know Al would not be with him as usual but took Ed anyway. He was sure they were using him to manufacture something, most likely helping their own alchemists convert base metals to gold to buy weapons.

Without wasting more time, Al clasped his hand together and then upon the snowy ground. A mound of earth and stone rose from the snow, a perfect hollow dome to keep them safe and warm. He next manufactured a temporary door and then a small hollow in the ceiling to allow their fire's smoke to escape. He turned toward the frozen blond. "Please get inside, I'll be right back, just have to get some wood for the fire."

"M'kay." Winry pulled her tired body through the opening into the dim light of the earthen structure. It was dry and stopped the wind, but it was miserably cold inside. She collapsed.

"Winry!" Alphonse dropped the bundle of wood on the floor and rushed to her side. He cradled her in his arms, trying to get a response. Even through the layers of clothing she wore, he felt no heat from her body, she felt like ice. "Hang on, Win, I'll get it warm in here in no time." He gingery set her back down and he quickly worked on making the fire pit. After digging a hole and placing wood and kindling inside, he used alchemy to ignite the wood creating a raring fire. Al turned his attention to the door, again using alchemy to close up their earthen home for the night. It didn't take very long for the structure to warm up.

"Al?" Winry slowly sat up. "I'm sorry."

"Don't say that! You don't have anything to be sorry about." His smile was so kind.

"I'm holding you back."

"I need you, Win...Edward will need you too." His face grew solemn. "There's no telling what shape his automail is in." He didn't say what he really thought, that there was no telling what shape Ed's body was in either. Al was sure when they realized they had the wrong Elric, Ed would have some hell to pay before they decided to make use of him anyway. "Let's get some hot tea and food in you, you'll feel better." He smiled that optimistic smile, the same one that encouraged her on this mission.

Alphonse pulled both their packs to him and drew out two sleeping bags, both he wrapped around the shivering girl. For the sake of less weight, he packed several slim bars of aluminum-not your normal camp gear unless you knew alchemy. He clasped both hands together and transmuted the metal into a kettle, two small mugs, a small pot, some spoons and a bowl. All he'd return back to bars when they were ready to leave. He then placed his hands upon the earth and created some stones which he set inside the fire ring.

Winry scooted closer to the fire. There are those eyes again, she thought. Al's eyes flashed with hope, undying hope. It was infectious. The also reminded her of another set of yellow hued eyes. Now worry set in.

Al stood up and scooped snow out of the vent opening in the ceiling, filling both the kettle and the pot. He placed them upon the scorched stones in the fire pit. Before long, the kettle hissed, ad he filled the mugs, then pulled two tea bags from their provisions and let them steep. He sat next to Winry and continued to work. The pot was filled with dried beef, carrots and onions along with the melted snow. Slowly, the structure filled with the warm aroma of the crude soup. The young man removed the teabags and placed a hot mug in the girl's hand urging her to drink.

"Thank you, Al." She drank the bitter tea, the warmth filling her body.

"I didn't think to bring any sugar, sorry about that."

"It's still good."

"Ed always made the meals when we traveled and had to camp." He stirred the pot gently. "He could eat just about anything when he was really hungry." He smiled. "Except milk." This elicited a chuckle from the girl next to him.

"Ahhh," She down the last of the tea. "That really helped." She let the sleeping bags fall from her shoulders. She pulled one and spread it out, then the other along side it. "Now that I'm warm, I'm hungry!" She eyed the stew and he began ladling out some into one of the bowls and handed it to her with a spoon. She took it and began shoveling it into her mouth.

"Take it easy, it's hot." He smiled and grabbed the pot and ate his share.

"That...was one of the ten best meals in my life." She sat down and stretched. Her stomach growled.

"Here..." Alphonse hadn't eaten all his stew, he handed the pot to the blond girl and motioned she take it. "I'm full. Take it."

"I couldn't."

"Please? I swear, I'm done." There was that smile again.

"Ok." She took his leftovers and devoured it. He sat back, pleased.

"If that was one of your ten best meals, you haven't eaten a lot of good food. When you, Brother and I get home, I'm going to buy us all the biggest steak dinner..." He patted the top of her hand and realized she must be running a fever. "Winry? You're burning up." He took the back of his right hand and felt her forehead confirming his fear. "You're clothes are soaked too." He stood up and looked around then grabbed one of their back packs, removed a strap and transmuted it into a clothesline which he fastened to either side of the structure's walls just by the fire. He took his own coat off and hung it on the line to dry.

"Al, you are treating me like I'm made of crystal, It's just a little fever! Sheesh, the food's in me and a with a little rest, I'll be rip roaring and ready to go tomorrow." Her blue eyes flashed with anger. She was not a doll, she was a hardened automail mechanic...one that really didn't feel very well.

"You'd hit me with a wrench if you had one, wouldn't you?"

"Who says I don't have one." She smirked but then wistfully thought of the huge case she wanted to bring with them, the one containing a new leg ready for Ed, she was sure his old one was obliterated. Instead, she carried a bare bones set of repair tools and parts. Now she knew she'd never had made it trying to carry the heavier automail she really needed to bring.

"Winry, I'll turn around...throw me your clothes and I'll hang them up to dry. You can keep warm in your sleeping bag while we wait." He turned to give her her modesty.

"Paleeze, Al, now's not the time for manners." She hit him with her heavy woolen coat, he clumsily caught it and felt her other personal effects hit his back.

"We can't set out tomorrow until our clothes are dry." He knelt down to pick up her items: a wood sweater; wool long john's; a pair of woolen man's breeches, the suspenders still attached; and three pairs of wool socks. He picked them all up and as he stood, felt the thud of something heavy coming in contact with his head-one of her fur lined boots.

"Ok, I'm decent."

Al turned to see her zipped up to her neck inside her sleeping bag. He hung up her clothes and set her boots by the fire. "Uh, Winry?" He eyed her again with those amber eyes, indicating he needed to hang his own clothing up.

"S...Sorry," She turned her back to him as he undressed and hung his own items up and set his own boots next to hers. She heard the crumple of something heavy hitting the floor and she turned her head catching a glimpse of him picking up his heavy red coat which fell off the line. Alphonse had his back to her as he lovingly stretched the coat upon the line, clearly revealing the black flamel, the crucified serpent and a symbol of alchemists. Winry smiled with nostalgia. Al had taken to wearing Edward's signature coat. Not for the same reason's, of course. Edward thought he looked "badass" in red and black. Alphonse wore it as homage to his brother AND their craft. As he straightened the coat, she could make out the roll of his trapezius and teres major muscles as the firelight hit his skin. This triggered another memory, one of Resembool and a time when Edward got a harebrained idea and was determined to learn to be a farmer. He managed a small patch behind the house and one hot day, she caught him tending it in the sun, the light shining on his bare back, one so similar to Al's. She chuckled and Al realized she was peeking.

"What's so funny?" He quickly got into his own sleeping bag as she turned to face him.

"Not you, just thinking about Ed. I can't help it. Little things you do and the way the light hits your face, you remind me of him." She lowered her head, trying to hold back the tears. "I miss him."

"I know." Al lay back and tucked himself snuggly inside his bag. "You'll see him soon, I promise. Remember? Tears of joy, Winry, tears of joy." He yawned.

"I'll find that wrench if you break that promise, Al." She snuggled herself deep within the warmth of her sleeping bag. She still felt bad, but at least her feet were warm. Before long, sleep won and they both were out.

"Edward...don't leave me...please...no!" Winry cried in her sleep.

Al woke to the sound. It was heart-breakingly sad. He also saw his breath as he exhaled and chastised himself for letting the fire go out. He maneuvered to the fire pit while still in his sleeping bag and clapped his hands together transmuting some of the kindling into more flammable paper.  Al crumpled the paper and tossed it upon the dying embers only adding a larger log when the flames grew high enough to ignite it.    Soon, their only heat source was ablaze again.

"Brrrrr," He settled back in his bed.

"Edward!" Winry sat up screaming his name. She could no longer restrain her tears and they fell, splashing on the dirt floor. Her body shook as she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her.

"It's ok...shhhhhh." Alphonse hugged her from behind. "Just a dream." He rested his head on her shoulder and realized she was probably delirious because of her fever. He was going to have to use some medical alchemy to get her able to continue on their journey. No way he'd leave Winry behind. His mind raced with equations and elements to use to heal her he wasn't aware she had turned and kissed him until her lips were firmly pressed to his, her arms also firmly wrapped around him. He tried breaking from her embrace, but even sick, she was a strong girl. She also kissed like nothing he had ever felt before. Soon, Al couldn't help himself, his lips pressed back on hers.

Since gaining his physical body back and enduring months of rehabilitation, Alphonse trained every day and was in terrific shape. He kept his promise to try every food he missed while he was a soul bonded to armor. He also vowed to try as many new things in life as he could: traveling to Xing; acupuncture; rock wall climbing; anything possible to expand his knowledge and experience for the short while he had on this Earth. Nothing he had done so far compared to the feeling of her lips, his childhood friend's lips, his brother's fiancee's lips on his own at that very moment. She moaned quietly as he felt her tongue delicately brushing the inside of his teeth. That was new. The next sensation blew all logic from his mind and he no longer worked on reason, but could only act on instinct. Low in his belly, electricity ignited into an unfamiliar tingle which pressured him further. He reached his own tongue out to hers and she trembled with delight in his return of affection. She pulled him to her, he couldn't fight it, he couldn't stop himself. He moved inside the sleeping back with her, their lips still locked. Before he could react, her warm hands roamed his chest, inciting goose bumps. He had to come up for air. "Winry?"

"Please."

She stated it as a fact, not a request, not begging at all. A fact. he felt her hand move to his, taking it softly and placing it on her breast, underneath white tank top she wore and touching bare, soft skin. Again, Al felt that stupid tingle! He didn't know where this was coming from in him, the sensation was new, undiscovered yet with Winry. He left her mouth and began kissing her neck, trailing down to her shoulder. She arched her back in response to his touch. His mouth took her breasts eliciting moans from her lips. She grasped his hair urging him on. His tongue traveled down toward her navel but he stopped at the sight of her underwear. Pink lace.

"Typical Winry." Alphonse thought. She was wearing man's pants with these things underneath. He brushed them aside and met her with his mouth. Slowly at first, then gaining momentum, she squirmed under his control and her breathing became harder and more sounds of pleasure escaped her lips. He felt something within her brewing, yearning for escape so he continued his ministrations until her body seized beneath him and the sweetness flowed.

"EDWARD!" She screamed. Then, as fast as the explosion exited her body, she relaxed under him, whispering his brother's name. "Edward..."

Al stopped. He realized something that turned that tingle in his gut into nausea. She was not making love to him, she was making love to his brother. He realized she was still running a fever and most likely WANTED him to actually be Edward. This shattered the mood. He crawled back up her shaking body and kissed her forehead, she was still feverish.

"Winry, you're still sick. Let me get you some medicine." He escaped the warmth of the sleeping back into the chill of the air and went to his backpack and searched. "It's not there..." He cursed because he forgot to pack any aspirin. Next he clasped his hands together, then on the ground and transmuted the soil into what he needed-salicylic acid or aspirin powder. He took a mug and poured the cooled water from the kettle in it and added the powder. He brought it over to the girl who was still splayed out in pleasure in her sleeping bag. He brought the cup to her rosy lips and urged her to drink. She took it all down and smiled at him. "Go back to sleep, Win." He clasped his hands together and placed his right palm over her heart. She giggled as tiny sparks encircled his hand and entered her body.

"Tickles." She smiled, then rolled over asleep.

He got up and re-zipped her sleeping bag snugly around her as she slept. Al got back into his own bed and closed his eyes. He hoped he successfully was able to use the alkahestry Mei showed him in Xing to transmute the virus inside her into harmless water molecules. He also felt the guilt come pouring in his body and his heart. What did he do? What was he going to say to HER? What was he going to say to HIM? He was thankful her screaming Ed's name shook him out of his stupor before things got worse. The painful ache in his lower region would be penance enough for now. He slowly drifted to sleep.

"ARE YOU GOING TO SLEEP ALL DAY?"

Alphonse opened his eyes, his blurry vision clearing to the angry face of Winry Rockbell hovering over his. "Oh, God." He thought. "She's going to kill me."

"Get dressed, pretty boy!" She threw his clothes at him. "We'll never find Edward if you SLEEP all damn day! GET MOVING!"

"Ok! Ok!" He pulled his clothing inside the sleeping bag and got dressed inside. Winry was fully clothed and packing up her stuff. "Winry?"

"What?"

"Are you feeling better? You had a pretty bad fever last night..." He was waiting for her to pulverize him with something, but that never came.

"I feel FANTASTIC!" She pranced as she got her things ready. "I did feel pretty crappy before we went to bed, but for some reason, I woke up feeling just great." She smiled.

"Really?" He realized he was off the hook. She didn't remember anything. He wondered if HE could live with that memory, for he truly didn't know if he could ever tell her or ever tell Edward. Perhaps that was just something he would keep to his own, a cherished moment?

"I don't know why, Al, but I know we are going to find Ed today." She smiled triumphantly. "Not get ready and LET'S GO!"

"I think you're right about that Winry." Alphonse smiled and got ready for their next journey together.


	12. As a Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He didn't feel Al embrace him and try to show him it was ok to be sad, it was ok to be angry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this somber piece on 10/7/2012 to honor a friend who passed away unexpectedly. She was young and has left this world with a husband and two great kids. Hug the ones you love and be sure to actually tell them you do love them every once in a while.

Alphonse plunked down on the hard bar stool and took off his faded brown jacket, draping it across his lap. He never drank alcohol, but today was a day he made an exception. To his right, his older brother swirled the ice in his empty glass of bourbon and slammed it down on the bar to get t he attention of the proprietor. To his left, he assumed this was Henry and he, just as Edward, had a collection of empty glasses in front of him as he downed the last of his own glass of brown liquid. Merv, the bartender finally made his way over to the inebriation sandwich.

"Alphonse Elric! It's been a long time!" The bartender's friendly face helped soothe Al's somber mood. "What'll it be?"

"Give my little brother a bourbon…I'll have two." Ed's voice carried softly.

"Make that three." Henry piped.

"Edward's opened a tab." Merv smiled and poured three glasses then went about his business, leaving the three middle aged men to take in their swill.

"Have you been to the house?" Henry, with his jet-black hair and brown eyes, turned to the younger man.

"Yeah, Mei is there with Winry and Alice. Oh, Ethan just got in too, I invited him to come with me, but he wanted to be with his mom a bit before he came over." He thought lovingly of his nephew, Ethan, the spitting image of Edward except he inherited the proclivity for mechanics his father lacked. The boy was an automail prodigy just like Winry.

"Was David there?" Henry asked, hopefully.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't see him." He knew the young man was taking losing his wife very hard, he also didn't want to push Henry about his son.

"How are you holding up, Ed?" His golden eyes searched his brother's. Edward never showed his age, not that Al ever remembered. Yet, today, here he was with tired eyes ringed with dark shadows. He looked old all of the sudden, tantamount to the tragedy that just fell upon the Elric family.

"Ah." He just grunted.

"That good." Al took a swallow and as the warm liquor coated his throat, he hoped that Edward expelled his grief soon because if he held it in like usual, they all were in for a terrible few days.

"That son of a bitch student of mine." Ed mumbled as he took a drink.

"Hey!" Henry half halfheartedly protested.

"He took off. Couldn't take it. I gave him Teacher's address and told him to go see her and Sig. I don't think he's going to listen to reason." Edward liked David. He loved beating him senseless during training and although he hated to admit it, he was one top notch alchemist. At that moment, though, he really wished that he never took in David as his apprentice. Had he refused that boy who begged and begged him for weeks, then Sara might not have ever fallen in love with him.

"I'm ashamed of him. I didn't raise him that way." Henry looked on the verge of tears.

"Hush. Al patted him on the back. "He's just suffering right now. He'll see." He hoped he was right.

"Al, he was talking about it." Ed's voice became somber. "Talking about…."

"Brother?"

"I told him he was a fool. He already knew what you and I went through because of our mistake but he, he is not thinking clearly."

"What are you talking about Elric?" Ed had Henry's attention.

"Does he know enough…is he capable of trying it?" Al hoped not but knew from all the letters Edward sent to him in Xing that David had become quite the alchemist.

"He's smart. He's read the same books of Hohenheim's that you and I did."

"Tell me, what the hell are you talking about!" Henry stood and moved closer to Edward.

"Easy, easy," Al intervened. "What Ed's talking about is something called human transmutation." He had to explain it so that the non-alchemist could understand. "But it's not possible and it's dangerous. That's why Edward tried to send him to our old alchemy teacher, Izumi Curtis. She's the toughest woman we know. If anyone could reach him through his sadness, she can."

"What does this Izumi know about human transmutation?" Henry gruffly returned to his seat. "Can she help my son?"

"She knows as much as we do, or more." Edward motioned to Merv for some more alcohol. "She tried to bring back her child."

"What do you mean, YOU tried it too? Alice told me you boys had a secret but no one knew exactly. David wouldn't tell me."

"Henry, Edward and I were children. Unfortunately, we were children gifted with knowledge of advanced alchemy. We tried to bring back our mom. That's how Ed lost his leg." Alphonse took a drink not wanting to elaborate further. He hoped that Henry would grasp that the simple fact that Ed lost a limb, the act of human transmutation was a dangerous craft and shouldn't be attempted.

"Does…does it work?" His voice carried with trepidation, if there was a hope that this could bring back the dead, he wondered why it would be so bad for David to attempt it. "I mean, could he, could he actually do it?"

"No. It doesn't work." Ed thumped his metal leg for emphasis. "You cannot bring back the dead, it is not possible and the price the alchemist must pay…is…" He looked lovingly at his brother. "Is too high."

"You've got to stop him! Get him to this Izumi!"

"If I knew where he WAS, I'd knock him out and carry him to Dublith myself!" Ed slammed down his glass.

"Take who to Dublith?" While the three were deep in conversation, Ethan entered the bar.

"Ethan!" Alphonse stood to hug his nephew and take in the sight of him. Ethan stood tall, much taller than Edward at the same age, " _Hell, he's much taller than Edward NOW."_ Al thought. The young man, now twenty had the same Elric yellow eyes and golden hair. Unlike his father, Ethan wore his hair short, but he still carried the unmistakable Edward antenna. "Are you alright?" He knew he wasn't.

"It's weird. Like a dream. I still expect her to come in and transmute my tools into a big dragon or something like when we were kids." He took Al's seat at the bar. "I'd be so happy if she did that now." Merv came up to the young man and took his order. He brought him back an orange soda.

"Yeah." Ed smiled and finished off the bourbon, he tilted his head back to get the last little drop and lost his balance, Al had to catch him from falling off his bar stool.

"That's enough for you, Brother." He motioned to Merv to cut Edward off for the night.

"Ah, shaddup. I deserve to get drunk tonight Al." He made a scrunched up annoyed face.

"Ed, that'd just make it worse for everyone else at the house. Besides, Winry needs you. Don't be so selfish."

"Selfish!" The tiny hairs on the back of his neck rose as he jumped off of the barstool to face this brother. "I deserve to be selfish! You all OWE it to me…" He pointed at the men around him. "to let me get so drunk I don't remember if I piss out my ass or shit from my dick!"

"Dad!" Ethan wanted to melt into his bar stool from embarrassment.

"C'mon, Edward. Let's go home. Let's go hug our wives. Let's go grieve with our family." Alphonse tried to reason with his brother.

"God damn it! I don't fucking WANT to grieve." He couldn't help it. He hoped that the booze would keep the feelings at bay, keep them from showing. Instead, he soon realized, the emotions swarmed his mind and he could no longer keep them in check. "I WANT MY DAUGHTER BACK!" The tears fell and he brought his right fist down on the bar with such force, he shattered a glass. He didn't feel the pain of the shards as they cut his fist. He didn't feel Al embrace him and try to show him it was ok to be sad, it was ok to be angry.

"Edward, your hand." Al took Ed's bloody fist and drew a circle in his brother's blood on the top of his hand. He used his extensive knowledge of alkahestry to heal the wounds. Ed jerked the limb away.

"Happy now, Alphonse?" Edward stormed toward the door and grabbed his jacket from a hook on the wall. "You wanted me to get it all out, so there it is!" He slammed the door as he left.

"Great." Al exhaled loudly and turned to Ethan and Henry.

"Ethan, I'll take care of your dad, can you make sure Henry get's home ok?"

"Sure, uncle Al. Just make sure dad cleans up before he goes home to mom. She's in no humor to see him like this and I can't deal with her in the shop this week if she's making him sleep on the couch."

"Don't worry. I know what your dad needs to help him get over this." He winked at his nephew and Ethan understood. It had been years, after all, since Alphonse kicked Edward's ass and tonight the elder Elric really needed an ass whooping.

 

* * *

 

"Edward!" Alphonse raced after his brother. He noticed how Edward's gate wobbled and he listed to his right, evidence that the alcohol coursed through his veins. It didn't take him long to catch up. It started to rain as the two men trudged up the gravel road toward the Rockbell-Elric family compound.

"Piss off, Al."

"Oh, you know I'm not going to do that. So, do we do this here or do you want to wait until we get to the house so everyone can watch?"

"You wouldn't dare!" Ed squared his shoulders and stood his ground.

"You're being an ass, Ed. Winry needs you in your right mind. Ethan needs you to be strong! That BABY needs her grandfather!"

"Baby?" Ed's face lowered and his bangs hid his eyes at the mention of the new infant. "That baby is the REASON Sara is dead!"

"Ed!"

"You never learned! You of all people should know that the Truth hurts!" Edward took off his jacket and tossed it to the rocky wall on the side of the road. The ran fell harder.

"That's not the same! The baby didn't kill Sara!"

"Idiot! That's exactly what happened! If she didn't want this child so much, if she was just happy being Sara, she'd be ALIVE!" Edward took a swing at Al, missing his jaw by an inch as the younger Elric moved out of its path.

"Edward! The baby didn't KILL Sara!" Alphonse clocked Edward on the chin with a roundhouse kick, the smaller man swayed but stood up, rubbing it.

"She fucking died giving birth to that thing!" He returned a kick that caught Al on his chin.

"The baby is not a THING!" Al resorted to close combat punches, busting his brother's nose. "I said the baby did not kill Sara!" He kept pummeling Edward's face, cutting open his cheek. Now Al was the brother full of emotions. He lost HIS niece, his beautiful, eighteen year old niece with golden hair and blue eyes, just like her mother. Did Edward think he was not sad too? He loved that girl, she was the spitting image of Winry but with the wit and arrogance of Edward. All of the sudden, Alphonse realized that he was holding his brother by his collar, having punched him almost senseless.

"If, if, the baby didn't kill my daughter." Edward started to cry, the tears and blood mixing with raindrops on his tired face. "What did?"

"Edward." Al let go of his brother and slumped down in the muddy road beside him. "Like I said, the baby didn't kill her. She GAVE her life FOR that baby." Now he started to cry. "She loved her so much, just like mom loved us, just like Winry loves Sara AND Ethan." He looked to Edward and saw his eyes grow large with realization.

"Al?"

"Yeah?" He stood up and offered his brother his hand.

"I want to go home." Edward let Al help him to standing and he picked up his muddy jacket. They both were soaked thoroughly as well as scraped, bruised and bloody. Edward more so than Alphonse.

"Me too." He patted his brother's back as they walked toward the big house all lit up and warm. "I think I broke your cheekbone. Want me to fix it?"

"No, let me blame the crying on my wounds, OK?" He half smiled.

"Sure." Alphonse smiled. He knew that the next weeks, months, even years were going to be tough, but that his family was strong, his family had endured this kind of pain and it only made them stronger. Al knew that Edward now saw the baby as Sara's gift to everyone, the last gift she could give as a mother, as one who loved them all, just like Trisha, just like Winry.

Yes. He knew that they'd come through this. They could endure any pain and become stronger, that as a family, they would survive.

END.


	13. A Peaceful Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The poor boy couldn't help but think how he erred in thinking HER room would be a peaceful place to eat his sandwich.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5/21/13 A/N: Just a little blurb of a story here, written because a thought popped into my head: "What was on Ed's mind as he sat in Winry's room right before she almost flashed him?" I don't know if this is accurate, but is my interpretation of the moments before THAT scene.

Mr Gorilla's and Mr. Lion's snores reverberated through the walls of the old house with such force, his glass of water shook on the table. The young man stared intently upon the minute waves rolling from the center toward the rim of the glass and imagined it resembled certain alchemic arrays. He smiled because it had only been minutes since he went upstairs and those guys were already asleep. Of course, they deserved the rest.

For once since he left North City, they were not being followed or were not evading  _someone._ He felt at ease since the old Rockbell house was safe, quiet, and, well,  _familiar_.

He cherished this familiarity. It sat upon his heavy heart and worried mind and it did some little thing to quell the mountain of self doubt and fright that he carried on this long journey back to Resembool. Months and months have passed since he sealed the otherwise mortal wound in his side and unwillingly submitted to the care of the two burly chimeras, Darius and Henkel. Months still, since they became Greedling's "lackeys."

Ed was ok with that. Yeah, he shoved his pride right back down his throat when he decided to acquiesce leadership to the sin controlling Ling's body. Ok with it, sure. Like it, no. But, it was more practical to follow than lead right now. At any rate, they were safely making a pit stop at his home town, hoping to clean up and fuel up before carrying on toward Central.

The Promised Day was near.

He cursed himself for thinking about this again. The comfort of feeling familiarity with this house lost to the rise of gall in this belly with fear he would fail. No, in his brilliant mind, there was no possible scenario where he would: a. restore Alphonse's body; b. defeat Father and the rest of the homunculi; c. stop them from turning the souls of the people of Amestris into a philosopher's stone; and d. doing all this without using any more souls in the process. Al would add: e. restore Ed's arm and leg. But, he really didn't care at this point. Regaining his limbs at the end of all this seemed a nice perk, a bonus, but something not likely to happen.

He opened and closed his metal hand. His thumb bent unnaturally when he moved it and the pinky and ring finger no longer worked correctly all of the time. Not only his hand suffered but his leg no longer moved swiftly and with ease, and the knee joint sometimes stuck making him swing his leg out and shake it on occasion. This funky walk elicited some jokes and chortles from his traveling companions, which irked him. This young man sorely needed the care of a professional mechanic, the loving touch of Winry Rockbell.

Edward chuckled quietly. Loving care would be the last thing that girl would give him once she saw her automail in its current state. He'd be lucky live through her tirades on how he failed her and failed to take care of her perfect craftsmanship. Actually, he'd love to hear her bitch at him right now. He'd prefer taking a flying wrench to his face to this not knowing where she or his brother were at this moment. It scared him to think that Kimblee or the Fuehrer's men caught up with Winry's group. However, something deep down, a feeling, told him they were safe. He clung to that particular feeling and it helped his worry. Somewhat.

Still, if alchemy granted wishes, he'd wish Alphonse, Winry and their friends to safely appear in this warm, strong house even if the blond girl's yelling effectively reduced him to a sniveling puddle of goo on the rough wooden floor. Edward would gladly prefer that to sitting here alone eating his pitiful tuna fish sandwich in the dark.

His sorry band of misfits arrived early that morning, hidden by the thick fog and faint light of dawn. They'd found the yellow house empty and locked up tight. Mr. Gorilla almost succeeded in pulling the basement door off its hinges before Ed stopped him, brushed him aside and removed the lock with alchemy. Once they stood safely inside the dusty basement, the alchemist restored the lock and they wearily went upstairs. They all hadn't eaten in a few days and were starving. Edward was sure that Greedling didn't really need sustenance but Ling's voracious appetite and fainting when he blood sugar dipped was the only reason the sin ate at all. They pilfered through the kitchen and the only thing they were able to find was some tinned meat and vegetables in the cupboards and some moldy bread in the pantry. The men and young alchemist made short work of these items, finding them way more preferable to the rabbits and fish they caught on their travels. At least they found some mayonnaise and sweet pickles in the refrigerator and Edward used it and the tuna to make a simple tuna salad. After scraping off the mold from the bread, they all made sandwiches and devoured them with gusto. Well, all of them ate, except Edward.

He really just wanted to see his brother, Pinako, the old dog and even, even Winry. The house felt, it felt…he struggled to find the words in his mind to adequately express exactly how it felt and suddenly, the young man decided it. The house felt sad. They were strangers in this, his surrogate home. And, they were loud.

Silently, the blond got up and pulled a cupboard drawer open, knowing in his gut, the paper bags would be there and he smiled when he proved himself correct. He stuffed his sandwich and two large homemade sweet pickles in the bag, grabbed the water glass and started walking upstairs.

"Where ya goin' Ed?" Darius mumbled through his tuna fish.

"Uh, just feeling a little nervous." He lied. "I can watch the road halfway down the valley from the upstairs room. I'm going to eat up there." The young man started up the stairs and his knee joint stuck straight. He flung his leg out and wiggled it until it started working again, earning chuckles from the big men as they ate. Edward sighed and continued on his way.

Once he settled in the mechanic's room, he took a bite of the salty and improvised sandwich. Winry always made yummy tuna salad with grapes and sometimes walnuts. If they had roasted chicken for dinner, then the next day, she'd use the same recipe to make chicken salad. What he made most certainly was not her chicken salad, but would do. Ed drew both legs up to his chair and he looked about the dusty room. The pink curtain was drawn, letting the sunlight filter through it giving the room a faint rosy glow. Automail works in progress lay upon the desk at the wall farthest from where he sat and he wondered which customer would be complaining because it went unfinished. He wondered if they'd worry about it once their souls were sucked from their body.

_Groan._

There was that self doubt again. He took another bite and chewed slowly as he scoured his brain again trying to source a solution to his, to all of their problems. Greed was right. He really did want it all, Ed wanted to save everyone with no loss, no equivalent exchange. He grimaced at that last thought.  _No, there was no way, no hope, that something, someone would not be lost in the end_. His heart ached and he wanted to scream. He knew too well that equivalent exchange was an angry bitch and the young man knew she'd exact something horrible from him in the end, something far worse than his right arm and left leg.

_Think! He had to think! He was a god-damned alchemical genius!_ A god-damned genius who wanted nothing more than to curl up into a fetal position and cry.

For a minute, he considered breaking down. He'd never really done that before, not even at the worst, most lowest part in his life-when his mom died. No, he didn't cry for her, the one person he loved as much as his brother. But, Ed did shed tears when the Truth stole his brother's whole body then sheared off his left leg and then his right arm. He cried not out of pain, but out of anger and determination to get his brother back. So, maybe, right now, having a fit like a baby might just be the pivotal moment to inspire a solution.

_Yeah. It couldn't hurt, right? Besides, he was all alone in Winry's room. Right?_ He scrunched his eyes closed and exhaled trying to start the water works. Nothing happened.

Creak.

Edward had pretty good hearing - even though he routinely ignored Mustang's orders, he always  _heard them._ With his eyes closed he very distinctly heard the familiar creaking of the old wooden door to Winry's room opening. He sighed. Most likely one of his traveling companions was checking in on him.

"It's so dusty."

_That wasn't Mr Gorilla, Mr. Lion or Greedling!_ He remembered the chunk of sandwich still in his mouth and so he swallowed it, then slowly opened his eyes.

Winry.

She stood mere feet from him and here he was about to cry. For a moment he was relieved not only for NOT being able to cry but also because he was happy to see her. The slender blond mechanic had just taken off her button up shirt and dropped the garment on her bed. She then grabbed the hem of her tank top and began to pull it over her head.

In a split second, Ed's relief suddenly morphed into sheer terror as he realized three things: one, he was about to see Winry's boobs; two she obviously hadn't seen him yet; and three, he wouldn't have to worry about the Promised Day because this crazy woman was going to KILL him!

He really wouldn't mind seeing her boobs.

However, right before she was about to unknowingly reveal one of her most perky assets, her gaze finally turned toward the petrified boy in the corner.

Of course, her scream echoed through the entire house. The poor boy couldn't help but think how he erred in thinking HER room would be a peaceful place to eat his sandwich.  In a few minutes, peace would be the last thing on everyone's minds.

Fin.


	14. Growing Pains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Growing pains. It means you're actually growing!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3/30/14 A/N: I got this idea that Edward had terrible growing pains. After all, during the time he and Al stayed in Resembool he had to have grown a bunch – he was taller than Winry at the train station.

She heard the sound before. Sure, it was years and years ago, but there was no mistaking that pitiful plea for relief from pain – a moan. This tiny sound, this unmistakable noise caused her to stir from a sound sleep. This moan was so slight that she couldn't believe she heard it all the way in her own bedroom either. Winry sighed and wearily tossed aside her warm bed covers then slowly inched her way to the source of the sound.

She knew it came from Ed and Al's room, even before she set her hand on their doorknob and turned the old brass.

As she peered into the blue darkness of the boys' bedroom, she spied Alphonse splayed out on his twin bed sleeping sound as a stone. It made her happy to see him enjoy the sleep that he was denied all those years while in armor. Next to Al's bed, Edward squirmed in his own. She couldn't see his face, only the outline of his body as he rolled under the covers trying and failing to find a comfortable position.

"...it hurts." He growled very softly.

She frowned not quite sure what to do. Winry didn't want to disturb Al, but also didn't want to embarrass Edward if he were just having a bad dream. Something in her gut told her that Ed wasn't asleep and struggled with something other than pain associated with his automail. It wasn't even raining, so she knew the port wasn't aching. She decided to take a chance.

"Ed?" Winry uttered. As soon as the name left her lips, she noticed the boy straighten his body, then turn toward her.

"...huh?" The boy responded, not sure he had actually heard his name.

"I'm getting some tea...if you wanna come downstairs." With that, she left the door ajar and made her way downstairs toward the kitchen. Not knowing if he heard her or if he did, he'd even, she gave him an opportunity to come to her on his own.

The mechanic grabbed the tea kettle from the stove and expertly filled it with water from the tap. As she set it down on the iron grate and lit the gas, she was rewarded by the step-clank sound of Ed's bare foot then automail foot stepping on the old timbers of the floorboards upstairs. He slowly made his way down the creaky stairs and into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes at the bright light in the room.

"Cream and sugar?" She chuckled knowing he'd fuss about the former.

"Sugar, lots." He muttered and flopped down in a chair and grimaced as he did.

"Ed?" She set two mugs on the table and inserted the tea bags. "Are you in pain?" Winry turned to grab the sugar bowl and some spoons, not really wanting to see his face.

"...yeah."

"This has been going on for a few days, hasn't it?" The mechanic remembered hearing Ed moaning in his sleep on a few occasions this week. She set the sugar bowl and spoons on the table, then took the chair next to the boy.

"Sounds about right." Edward couldn't talk in full sentences.

"Is it your automail? You know you need to tell me if it hurts you, there may be something wrong I need to fix..."

"Not the automail." He wearily put his head on his arms such as a school boy in timeout. "It's everything."

"What?"

"My leg, my joints, everything just aches. It started as an odd sensation and got worse. I can handle it during the day when I move around, but...at night..."

"It kills you?" Her mind slowly wrapped around this information and an idea, a reason came to fruition in her head.

"Yeah. It's like, it's like my bones trying to push through my skin or something." He turned to her, his head still on his arms. "Am I dying?"

She smiled at this silly question. "No, I don't think so."

Winry remembered a time in her childhood, a time she later was told she hit a growth spurt in that aching pain disturbed her own sleep. Could this be happening to Ed? She thought of all that time Al's body was lost and Edward sustained him at the detriment of his own growth and now, perhaps Ed was actually  _growing_.

The tea kettle whistled, startling them both. Winry sprung up, turned off the gas and returned to the table with it and filled their mugs. She set it back down on a cold burner and returned to the table while their tea steeped.

"Then what?" He just wanted to stop hurting.

"I want to measure your real leg tomorrow and compare to my notes from you last fitting." She took her spoon and poked at the tea bag in her mug. "I think you're having growing pains."

"What?" He frowned at her. "I'm sixteen, too old for that."

"You're nearly seventeen, and I think you're body is catching up too fast after you brought Al's body back. Remember, you said somehow he was getting nourishment and rest from you when you ate or slept. That kept your body from growing like it should. Now that you don't need to support Al that way, your body is trying to catch up." She said it so matter-of-factly.

"Growing pains, huh?" He still couldn't believe it.

"Sure. The long bones in your arms and leg are growing faster than the supporting muscles and tendons...they're stretching them from the inside. It hurts." She plucked the tea bag out of her mug and started spooning copious amounts of sugar into the brown liquid.

"When will it stop."

"Can't say for sure, but I have some anti-inflammatory medication in the pharmacy cabinet I can give you tonight, then Granny and I can take a look at your measurements tomorrow and she can figure out something stronger to help manage the pain until it stops." She picked up the mug of sugary tea and set it in front of the former Fullmetal Alchemist.

"Whatever." He took the hot drink, sat up and took a sip, enjoying the taste and marveling on just how she knew he liked it so sweet. Ed noticed her smirk as she took the still steeping mug in front of him and started the process of making her own tea.

"I think it's good news, Ed." She emptied two normal-sized spoonfuls of sugar in her drink and stirred.

"How the hell is this pain good news?" He realized he was getting testy but didn't care.

"Think about it." She took a sip. " _Growing pains._ It means you're actually growing!" Winry wanted to laugh at Edward's expense, but really controlled herself.

"I told you I would grow! I told you all I was a late bloomer!" He chugged down his tea. "Now, where's that medication? Please?"

"I'll get it."

Later that morning, Winry did measure Ed's leg and found that since his last tuneup only a month ago, the poor boy had grown and inch and a half. She felt bad for teasing him because that was an awful lot of internal tugging and pulling on his muscles. Pinako found the right mix of medication Edward could only take at night which helped him sleep until the pains subsided.

Alphonse was overjoyed at hearing Ed finally grew.

Edward also strutted around proudly that he was right about this thing too, that he was right when he told them all he wouldn't stay short forever.

He only wished his growth spurts didn't come with growth  _pain_ , but figured like anything he and Al went through, it was equivalent exchange.

.

.

fin-


	15. Choke Chain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The watch once shone as a symbol of hope and a badge of worth for him. Now, it felt like a silver choke chain wrapped tightly around his neck...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1/20/2014: This was a self prompt after seeing a tumbr post of King Bradley threatening Ed into taking up this watch again and being good until the Promised Day. I wanted to delve into Ed's mind when Winry was threatened and how ironic that his treasured watch became his dog collar.
> 
> Awesome artwork by fennethianell! (Posted with Permission)

[Artwork by fennethianell](http://fennethianell.tumblr.com/)

 

He couldn't believe that bastard, the supposedly beloved Fuhrer, family man and wretched homunculus threatened  _her_ to keep  _him_ in check _._ Bradley had sat there, so smug and calm as he uttered the words almost politely, yet he still made it clear: If Ed didn't be good and play the obedient dog, something bad would happen to Winry. That it'd be a shame too since she was so talented an automail mechanic and had so many friends who loved her.

Also, that she was in Rush Valley at the moment.

What could he do? Winry, Pinako, all their friends were in danger all because of him. Of course he had to put that leash right back around his neck and roll over. Taking that damned pocket watch and swallowing his arrogant pride would be something he'd always remember.

Funny. Not so long ago, he wanted that watch so badly. It meant he was now a state alchemist, a big shot, a  _man_ who would save his brother using the military's resources. The watch once shone as a symbol of hope and a badge of worth for him. Now, it felt like a silver choke chain wrapped tightly around his neck deeply embedding itself into his skin with each of his steps, making sure he walked the way his master wanted him to go- a true dog of the military being led by the Fuhrer himself.

For a fraction of a second, he humored throwing the pocket watch at Bradley's face and running away...taking Al to Rush Valley and getting Winry someplace safe. But where  _was_ safe? The homunculus ran the god-damned country. His stomach hurt as he realized they'd never make it in time. Winry would be gone, taken,  _murdered_ before they even set foot on the station platform. A ghastly image flashed in his brain, one of her pale face, speckled with red, just as that poor Ishvalan child's after being shot in the head.

No. He wouldn't let that happen to anyone...he wouldn't let that happen to  _her._

He'd tried to compartmentalize her as only his mechanic, only the one person he trusted to fix up his arm and leg. She'd made them after all. However, as Bradley uttered the words, he knew she had become much more.

She was his wall.

She was his rock.

He and Al wouldn't have gotten this far without her skills and her enduring optimism.

He also could not imagine a world without  _her_ in it.

So, he took that chain once more and wrapped it twice around his neck. As it tore into his skin and red drops fell, he felt no pain. He closed the watch's cover and shoved it deep inside his black trousers.

Bradley won...for now.

The only thing left to do, the only thing on his mind was  _her_ safety.

Edward and Alphonse couldn't make it to a telephone fast enough to confirm she still breathed. And, when he heard her voice,  _her lovely voice_ , so happy he had called, he finally let out a breath of relief.

The chain may choke, but he'd break it soon.


	16. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to "Diversion in Drachma." Al's got some "splaining" to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1/11/13. Have you ever heard of productive procrastination? It's where say, you have to study for a test but instead, clean your room spotless. That's what I'm doing here. I have another story to complete and here I am, writing a short one shot.

"I'm sorry, Brother. I never meant for it to happen." Alphonse coughed after his confession earning a pained look from his older brother.

Ed couldn't comprehend what he had just been told. He didn't know how to react, but it didn't stop his love for his younger sibling. He traveled all the way to Xing after all.

"Please say something? I can't bear it."

"What do you want me to say?" His eyes turned glassy as he faced his brother. "I forgive you?"

"I don't expect you to. I don't forgive myself." Al didn't know why he told Edward. He planned to take this little bit of information to his grave. However, Mei told him that he could not carry on with a clean conscience unless this burden escaped him. She understood him completely.  _She_ forgave him only after giving him a good pummeling. He thought that Ed could do the same and they'd both feel better. When his brother simply walked to the balcony and dropped his shoulders, Al knew that his conscience may have to wait a while longer before becoming spotless. He joined Edward on the ornate palace balcony.

"Do you love her?" Ed's voice quivered at the end of his sentence as if he were bracing himself for a positive answer.

"Of course I do. But, but not the same way I love Mei." He sighed. "I don't think I ever loved her in that way. It took me a while to realize that, Brother." He placed his hand on Ed's shoulder and the elder turned to face him. "There were dire circumstances, stresses, I don't think you could understand."

"I understand STRESS!" Edward shook Al's hand off. "I don't think it ever made me do THAT!"

"Does it help that she has no idea?"

"ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS? That makes it worse!" He couldn't believe his brother.

"Ed, she kissed me. It just…sort of happened." He sighed. He knew there was nothing he could say that would absolve him nor anything he could do which could make his actions forgivable. "But, please, don't be angry with her, please…she, she thought I was YOU!"

"Still not better!" Ed placed his hands over his ears.

"She was so ill, I was worried. Her delusion scared me…but…but,…I like the kiss." He lowered his head. "I liked it a lot. I can't help it. I just got my body back and damn-it, I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to experience it all."

"You sound like Greed." Ed growled. "You wanted THAT and you wanted me as well?" His eyes glared. "You can't have it all, Al, you just can't." He turned and started walking back into the room, he stopped and without looking at this brother continued. "One question. You have to tell me…"

"What?" Al was holding back his tears.

"Did she like it?" He almost couldn't speak the words, he heard his brother gasp quietly as he took a minute to answer.

"Yes." Alphonse's voice was barely audible, but Edward heard him clearly.

"Did she come?"

"Ed?"

"Answer me!" He still didn't turn to see Al's face.

"Yes. But she said YOUR name…it brought me to my senses and it was over."

"You suddenly developed MORALS after doing that with MY fiancée?"

"I can't defend my actions, Ed, you know that! And yes, it brought me to my senses and it was over." He rushed to his brother's side and spun him around. When he did, he came face to face with Edward. Although Al was on the verge of tears, Ed's stoic face was shocking.

"Then, you saved her life?"

"Yes…we later found you and brought you home." Al took his left sleeve and wiped his eyes. "Please forgive me…if not now, someday? I really want you and Winry in my life, I couldn't bear it if you won't forgive me."

"I don't know." Ed's voice trailed off. "It's going to be strange. Why the fuck did you even tell me?"

"I couldn't marry Mei with this guilt. I wanted to come to her clean, does that make sense?"

"Does Mei know?"

"Yes. She beat the shit out of me." He smiled.

"I'd do the same if you weren't getting married in a few hours."

"If you'll forgive me, I'll let you afterward. I'm sure Mei will hold me down for you."

"That'd be too easy." A small smile turned the corners of Ed's mouth.

"So, you don't hate me?"

"I could NEVER hate you, Al, I'm just hurt, that's all. I don't know how to really deal with this." He put his hands in his pockets. "But, you're my brother…I supposed I have to."

"Ed?" Al tried to hug his brother, but Ed shook him off.

"Don't. I'm still pissed and you are really going to get an ass whooping after the reception. I'm not holding back."

"I'm sure you won't." Al sighed and realized his honeymoon might consist of ice packs and recuperation, but if that's what it took to keep his family intact, he'd endure it.

"Alright then we have a bigger problem to figure out." Ed sighed.

"Huh? What's that?"

"Al, this is serious! Now that you've told ME, I'm the one with a guilty conscience! You JERK!" He made a fist and almost regretting saying he'd wait until after the wedding to clobber his younger brother.

"Why should your conscience be guilty? You didn't do anything wrong!"

"Not now, but you know, if I don't tell HER, I'll start to feel guilty! Our next problem is: Do we tell Winry?" He started sweating.

"Shit!" both brother's said in unison and Al realized that Ed would be a pussycat as compared to the wrath of the wrench-welding automail mechanic.

He wondered if he'd live to see his honeymoon.


	17. In Memoriam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He took her stunning face in his hands and then stroked an errant strand of hair from her eyes. "I used to think that when you die, that was it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 11/9/13 A/N: You'll not believe what inspired me to write this…a freakin' commercial for low-testosterone medicine that had a mature couple on a trip in a convertible. I kept thinking how cute Ed and Winry would be when the kids were all grown and they were together and still very much in love. It morphed into a semi-sad piece on remembrance too.

He loved the way the setting sun filtered through her long, silky hair. Sure, strands of white now intermingled with the gold, but it just made her ever more precious to him. Time marked both of them with age but his wife still remained the breathtaking beauty he used to call "un-cute" when they were kids. He couldn't believe she chose him, she agreed to give him her _whole_ life instead of the ridiculous half he'd originally asked for in his proposal.

"Are you cold?" He started to remove his jacket to give to her, but she shook her head.

"Nah, just stay close, I'll be fine." The pink and gold hues of the sky were reflected in her eyes and she clutched the bouquet flowers in the crook of her arm as they walked.

The blond man took his companion's words to heart and wrapped his right arm around her, bringing her strong frame closer. The two walked down the familiar path of worn stones and gravel, a road that somehow escaped being paved by the county (despite his fervent and many times ranting letters demanding they pave to save the tires on his automobile.) He spied a familiar spot along the rock wall that rolled along the right side of the old road. A place years earlier, his still-frail little brother rested on their journey back home, back to her.

She noticed his goofy smile and remembered him telling her how he offered to carry Al back and how the younger Elric refused. "When we get back to the house, let's call Alphonse. It's been a while." Her optimistic smile vanquished any sad thoughts of years gone by in his mind.

"I'd like that."

The two finally made it to the old bone yard, the resting place of many loved ones and family. Over the years, the tiny burgh of Resembool grew into a nice little town. A newer, more groomed cemetery cropped up a few miles away so the old one wasn't used except for the handful of families in the general area. Over the years, its well-maintained lawn became over grown and some of the older tombstones forgotten in the weeds. However, they had done their best, along with some of their neighbors, to clean it up. Both gazed quite proudly at the results of their efforts-clean headstones and weed free areas reminded them of how it used to be here. They also noticed that they were not alone. He nodded respectfully at the others here on this day of remembrance, knowing that to speak on such a solemn occasion would be tacky.

She smiled as they came to their family plot, still very happy at how the cemetery now looked and that the others came to honor their loved ones as well. "Ed, this was a really great idea. Look at their happy faces." His wife motioned to their neighbors.

"I couldn't stand that it fell apart…our parents are here." He squeezed her shoulder, his arm still holding her tightly. "Our Sarah's here…" He just knew thinking of the child they lost would make him cry and he fought it.

"No, just the bones, Ed." Her nose scrunched up as she thought and carefully chose her words. "Don't you believe that now, after everything?"

He took her stunning face in his hands and then stroked an errant strand of hair from her eyes. "I used to think that when you die, that was it." Chuckling, he continued. "But, yeah, seeing how the soul can be separated from the body if the mind link is severed…I think maybe there's more to it than just decomposition when you die. I don't think humans will ever truly know where the soul goes when that link is severed." He hugged her tightly.

"Still talking like an alchemist…" She placed her hand on his face, liking the feeling of short stubble. Winry also thought he'd aged like a priceless piece of art-his golden eyes still shone bright and large despite now needing glasses and his long hair still held back tight as messy fringe framed his now distinguished face. She also enjoyed just looking  _up_  at him, she never forgot all those years she towered over him. "And you're wrong." Her eyebrow arched.

"Wrong about what?" Oh, no, she wasn't challenging his knowledge.

"About humans never really knowing what happens after you die." Her matter-of-fact attitude made him angry for a split second.

"We can't know, there's no way to test it!" What was this woman trying to prove?

"Oh Ed." She loved that he was so smart, a genius, but sometimes missed the obvious. "EVERY human will find out… _when_ they die."

God, he loved her. He loved that she was right. He loved that no matter what scientific mumbo jumbo he threw at her she could break it down into common sense and unravel his logic without so much as a breath of thought beforehand. "You did it again. You ALWAYS do it."

"Do what?"

"You can undo my logic in a split second…" They both turned to the headstones. "Upend any scientific principle with a wave of your hand."

"Oh, give me a break." She broke away from her husband to lay some of the pink flowers on her daughter's grave, and she closed her eyes for a second as in silent prayer.

He knew she was saying her private words to Sarah, so he closed his eyes and did the same. Although he didn't really know or want to believe in an afterlife, if there really was one, he'd hope that she'd be there waiting for them when it was their turn. That thought made the ache in his heart ease up a bit. Still, their other children needed them and they needed their children. Ed thought how precious this short life truly was. They lost one child but their lives went on. He and Winry raised smart and strong little Elrics and although their kids were scattered throughout Amestris, they always came home or called for comfort or advice. He wanted to be here for as long as possible for them. He knew Winry did too.

"Do you want to see Trisha and Hohenheim now?" She gathered up the rest of the flowers, separating the bunch into two and handing Edward half.

"Yeah, I'll do that. You can go visit Granny, and Auntie Sarah and Uncle Urey." He lovingly took the bouquet.

"Ok, be with you in a minute." She gave him a quick kiss on his cheek, not wanting to stray too far from her warmth of her husband's body. Winry silently scolded herself for not wearing a jacket.

After the memorial concluded and the couple said their words to the lost family, they reunited with the husband once again wrapping a sheltering arm around the wife. They smiled at their neighbors and slowly made their way back to the big yellow house on the hill.

"For someone who can break my logic so easily, you're rather absent minded about the weather…you should have worn a jacket!" He half-teased and half-scolded her.

"Can it, Ed." She didn't like him being right as much as he hated when she was. "Just get us back to the house."

"So you can warm up as if you wore a jacket in the first place?" He couldn't hide the monstrous grin slowly spreading across his face.

"I was thinking YOU could warm me up, Ed." She broke from his embrace and nearly ran ahead of him, toward the house.

"M,m,me?" He almost missed what she insinuated…almost. "Oh, yeah. I'll warm you up!" He ran after his spry wife and despite both of them being mature and having grown children, that day, they carried on like teenagers and by nightfall, neither one was cold at all.

They'd have to call Alphonse another time.

-end


	18. Sleep, Finally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One second of pain and it would all be over and he could finally rest into oblivion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4/26/14 A/N: I will forever be plagued by the scene where Scar is about to kill Edward and Ed is going to let him. He gives up. Think about it: Ed and Al have been struggling for years trying to find a philosopher's stone. They failed to save Nina just the night before. By this time, all their leads to the stone turned out bad (think about Liore and think about the OVA and the alchemist they met who had "successfully" performed human transmutation). He's tired. He doesn't want to search anymore. Scar could bring him that end and he'd have no more worries. Sad, but I think for a second, that is what Edward is thinking. Also, this scene, to me, is more powerful in FMA:B anime than the first anime or manga, particularly Scar's big hand coming closer and closer to Ed's head as the boy just lays there, waiting for his end. :)

Scar's enemies suffered the sleep of death quickly. Edward knew it would only hurt for a second and then everything would be over. One second of pain equivalent to his short lifetime of pain over. He longed to stop their quest. He was so tired of fighting so hard trying to restore Alphonse and although he loved his little brother dearly, it just got really  _hard_  sometimes.

This rainy, sad day – the day he learned of Nina's death – could be the end and a blessed release from his struggles.

"I'll give you a minute to pray to whatever God you believe in..." The monster uttered as he loomed over the small alchemist.

Edward didn't believe in God. God didn't help them when their mom died. God didn't stop them from trying to bring her back. If Truth, really was God, he sure as hell wouldn't pray to that bastard. So he'd die without a prayer to any being. After all, Scar destroyed his arm, he couldn't perform alchemy. No one would think bad of him if he just cowered there and let the Ishvalan scramble his brains. No one. No one.

He'd blame himself. Letting Scar kill him would end his misery but he'd leave Alphonse alone and trapped in armor. He couldn't do that, it was  _his_ fault his baby brother lost his body so if he just lay there on those soaked cobblestones and let that man kill him,  _he'd_ be the monster. Wouldn't he?

No. No one could blame him. He'd die another State Alchemist victim of the mad man they named Scar. One second of pain and it would all be over and he could finally rest into oblivion. Sleep sounded so wonderful and he yearned for nothing more at that very minute. To sleep without any worries or phantom limb pains would be his joy. Yes, sleeping in a soft bed way into the late morning as the cool spring breeze wafted through the open window. If he tried hard, he could make the cold rain go away and transport himself to a room in that big yellow house back in Resembool and sleep...forever.

When he opened his eyes, the monster's large hand inched slowly toward his wet mop of hair. Edward felt the slight tingly sensation which proceeded alchemical deconstruction. The hand of God came closer to bring him the sleep he secretly longed for.

"Stop! Brother! Get up and run!" Alphonse's voice pierced the youth's fantasy, bringing him crashing back to his bleak reality. But before he could act, he heard the gunshot and felt the whoosh of a soaring bullet just inches above his head.

" _Deus ex machina,1"_ thought the young alchemist, knowing without actually seeing it, that the military found them and the bullet soared from Hawkeye's gun, wounding the Ishvalan. He didn't need to get up or look around to know that Scar was surrounded and would have no time finishing the Fullmetal Alchemist off. He sighed as the monster ran away, followed by soldiers in blue.

Ed struggled to sit up and struggled even harder to stand and then stagger toward his little brother. Al's body was damaged so that the younger Elric could no longer walk, but there he sat, very much there and as  _alive_  as Alphonse could be for a soul bonded to metal. The elder slid down to the wet alleyway floor and met his brother's red soul eyes.

_Smack!_

Edward didn't expect Al to use his remaining fist to punch his face. The stinging pain on his cheek served to remind him how stupid he was for laying there like a fool and letting Scar kill him.

"What were you thinking!" Al chastised him. "You idiot! How can we restore our bodies if you die!"

Alphonse had no idea, his secret was safe. He'd just have to sleep another time when all this was over and they succeeded in getting their bodies back.

"Yeah." The only thing he could answer. "We are a mess, aren't we?" Edward almost didn't feel Hawkeye's warm coat cover him, but he gave her a grateful look anyway.

"But, we're still alive."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1Deus ex machina (pronounced [ˈdeus eks ˈmaː.kʰ ], /ˈdeɪ.əs ɛks ˈmɑːkiːnə/ or /ˈdiːəs ɛks ˈmækɨnə/[1]; from Latin, meaning "god from the machine"; plural: dei ex machina) is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly resolved by the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability or object. Depending on how it is done, it can be intended to move the story forward when the writer has "painted themself into a corner" and sees no other way out, to surprise the audience, to bring the tale to a happy ending, or as a comedic device.


	19. Calling the Kettle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He now realized what Winry felt all those times he and Alphonse left her to journey across Amestris...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5/4/14 A/N: I really tried to get this down for May 3/Edxwin day but just didn't "feel" it to finish. Oh, well. May the fourth be with you!

The former alchemist placed the dusty old book back down on the worn library table. He'd been in the Westrofft University student library for nine hours absorbing the new-to-him alchemy tomes. This part of Northern Creta was pretty advanced, much to his happiness, so he looked forward to a nice cab ride back to his hostel instead of hoofing it.

His back killed him. Ed was sure one leg - his real leg grew longer than Winry's automail one and figured that his abnormal gait pulled his back muscles. A good soak in the community tub would erase some of the soreness...much to his dismay at sharing his floor's claw foot soaker with the other slobs. He probably could afford to stay in nicer digs, but wanted to be thrifty just in case funds dwindled. So, most of his flatmates were starving university students and he shuddered to think that they were by any means  _sanitary._

Edward sat back and raised his arms in a long stretch until several of his vertebra popped happily in response.

Grrrrrrrrr!

"Right!" He forgot to eat that day. Again. Ed knew that there were still some vendors on the main thoroughfare the library lay situated and he began to salivate in anticipation, especially since the heavenly smell of fried food assaulted his nose as soon as he opened the door. "Winry'd kill me if she knew I forgot my meals..." He uttered softly to no one.

Suddenly, the food seemed ancillary to his hard need to see his mechanic again. He'd last seen her four months ago – the memory of his awkward proposal making him smile as he ran past the food vendors and hailed a yellow taxicab. Besides, he knew he had a jar of peanut butter and some crackers back in his room he'd nosh on before bed. He hoped that none of those loud students would be hogging the community telephone on the main floor because the clock ticked and it soon would be  _his_ telephone time with Winry.

Edward's monthly calls turned to weekly and now he called her every other day. He couldn't help it. Living this far away got lonely and despite the good friends he made here in Westrofft and in his travels west, when he lay alone in his tiny twin bed, his thoughts always drifted to her. Ed needed her to know what he did those days. He needed to hear what she kept herself busy with as well. How this became so important to him, the young man would never understand. But, that simple connection made waking up in the morning exciting so he could catalog in his mind all the things he'd tell her the next time they spoke.

The taxi came up to his building just as rain started to fall. He'd not let the rain gloom his mood, Winry was minutes away, after all. Ed paid the driver and hurried to get inside, getting wet still in the process. He made it to the main hall, passing some acquaintances who nodded hello.

"Say hello to your girlfriend for me, Ed." The tall brown-haired man chortled as he passed. Noting Ed's telephone calls evidently on schedule.

"Say hello to your  _mother_  for me." He quipped with a smirk. The other fellow waiving his hand to dismiss Ed's insult-in-fun.

The blond man found himself before wooden phone booth in the main hall. He grasped the brass handle and opened the framed-in-glass door shutting himself inside the booth. Despite Westrofft being a modern town, this hostel's only telephone was antique; having a speaking tube mounted to the body of the phone and an earpiece he plucked up masterfully. Edward jiggled the brass receiver and heard static then the nasal voice of Annie, the operator always on duty during his call times.

"Hey Annie!" He knew she'd want to chat, she already told him she loved his voice and on one occasion offered to meet him after her shift at the phone company on Burke Street. He politely declined confessing he had been engaged for four months. Now, he hoped she'd not try to start up another conversation.

"Mr. Elric!" Annie chirped. "I could set my watch on your calls." She giggled. "Though, you must have been busy, I haven't heard from you in a few days. Do I even need to ask what number?"

"Yeah, this time, I need to connect with Rush Valley, Amestris," He smiled. True, he'd not heard Winry's voice for about three days because the last they spoke, she was traveling to Rush Valley to spend the cooler winter months working at Garfiel's. They decided to give a few days for her to get there and get settled in.

"That's new." He heard her connecting wires to make his call go through. "Ok, I have you connected to the Amestris line, what number?"

"Rush Valley four, four, two, eight, nine." He had Atelier Garfiel's number memorized.

"Connecting you...sweetie." Annie couldn't leave off the flirting.

Ed made himself more comfortable, by propping his real foot up on the worn, red velvet cushioned seat and listened to the steady ring.

"Atelier Garfiel." The effeminate voice of Mr. Garfiel made the young man crack a smile.

"It's me, Ed, is Winry around?"

"Oh..." The man's silence bothered the former alchemist. "Edward, dear...she's not here."

"What do you mean? She was coming to Rush Valley?" A twang of worry ran through his stomach. That or he was more hungry than he thought.

"I know. When, when she didn't arrive, I called Pinako. Edward, we don't know where she is." The older man seemed on the verge of tears.

"What the hell!"

"I'm so sorry! I've sent Paninya and some of her friends to take the same route to Resembool to try to figure out if she got stuck in a town along the way...you know her good nature, she probably encountered someone who needed her help and got delayed." He didn't sound so sure.

"That's shit! She would have called!" The pain in his gut rose exponentially and it was official. He was mortified.

"I know, I know." Garfiel couldn't hide his tears. "Pinako couldn't find your number to call you, but she did find a calling card from your old alchemist friend, Alex Louis Armstrong and she called him. He's gotten the officials to organize a search too."

"Win..." The young man's voice trailed off as he slowly hung up the phone without saying goodbye. He slumped down to the floor of the phone booth.

Of all the moronic things. They shared some raring dangerous adventures together and Winry can't even take a simple train ride from Resembool to Rush Valley without getting into trouble? How fucking stupid! Still, not knowing pained him as bad as that damn metal pole through his side. Was she hurt? Did someone, do something  _terrible_  to her? Was she holed up bleeding somewhere? Was she...was she... _dead_?

He suddenly felt nauseated and realized this whole time, this whole fucking time he and Al traveled around, he took her for granted. He always assumed that her traveling alone was no big deal, she was always armed with a wrench and knew how to use it. Right? She came alone to Central and back and forth to Rush Valley alone after all.

Edward didn't know what to do or where to start. Here he was a good day away, from the Amestrian border, and it would take at least two more to reach Rush Valley. He ran his suddenly cold hand through his damp bangs when he heard the small sound of knuckles hitting glass.

Tink, tink tink.

"Go away!" He could not deal with one of those morons demanding the phone right now. He had to figure out what to do for fuck's sake! He poked through his coat pocket and pulled out his old travelogue then rifled through the worn pages for that bastard's private telephone number. Edward knew that Mustang's involvement probably already was a given, especially if Pinako called Alex Armstrong, but he had to get it from the ol' man's lips directly, he had to know what was going on  _officially_.

Tink, tink, tink.

"Really?" Ed couldn't believe the balls on this guy, he already told him the booth was occupied. "Fuck off, asshole!" He heard a small huff outside the booth but paid it no mind as he quickly shot up and grabbed the earphone and jiggled the receiver again.

"How can I direct your call?" Annie's usually cheerful voice only irritated him.

"Annie, it's an emergency!" He didn't have time for her bullshit. "I need you to connect me with Central City, Amestris!"

"God, Mr. Elric. Calm down, here you go. What number?"

"Central City, Seven...two..."

Tink. Tink. Tink!

"Annie, hold on. I have to kick some guy's impatient ass!" He couldn't finish the number. All that worry in his empty stomach turned to anger. Winry, HIS Winry could be hurt and he was helpless here in Creta. And, this dickwad couldn't wait to use the god damned telephone! He dropped the earpiece and turned on his uneven automail foot to the closed door.

"Whoever you are, get ready for an ass kicking!" Edward turned the old brass handle and burst out of the booth.  However, he lost capacity of speech when his golden eyes met the sight before him.   "…"

"Wow, that's what you say to me?"

There she stood, in the flesh, the object of his fears and hope of his affection. Ed wasted no time in breaching the short distance between his body and hers and held her so tightly she yelped.

"Stop! You're squeezing me!" She protested but really didn't mind the close contact and the genuine affection the hug represented from him.  He ran his hands up to the sides of her face forcing her to look into his molten eyes.

"What were you thinking!" He tried not to let her know he was on the verge of tears. Tears of joy.

"I...I wanted to surprise you." She honestly didn't know what was going on and before the mechanic could offer any other protest, his warm lips came crashing violently to hers. Suddenly, her knees gave out and Edward's two strong arms were the only thing keeping her vertical as he continued to kiss her. After an eternity, he broke the kiss and her legs could support her body again.

"Why didn't you tell anyone where you were going?" He didn't relinquish his hold on her body as he scolded her.

"Uh...I didn't think..." Winry suddenly realized a whole lot of people probably were worried about her.  "Damn."

"That's right!" The golden-eyed man let her go and stood back. No longer scared about her, now he was mad at her. "Do you know how many people are looking for you right now? Winry, that was fucking irresponsible! You could have been dead on the side of the train tracks!" He slapped his hand on his mouth and made a realization.

"Well, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black!" She rested her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.

"Uh. Well, you STILL should have told Granny, at least!" He now realized what Winry felt all those times he and Alphonse left her to journey across Amestris on their quest to restore their bodies.

"Edward, you get it now?" She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist in a sweet hug. "I'm sorry I worried you. Let me use the phone to call Granny and Mr. Garfiel..."

"Win?" He couldn't stop the worry that still lingered in his belly, even after seeing her right before him. "I'm sorry." Edward then realized something very important, something Winry didn't seem to realize yet. "Um, did I, um, hurt your, your lips?"

It was their first kiss.

"Oh!" The girl raised her fingers and patted her rosy smile. "N,n,no. It, it was really...nice." She hoped that her stay here in Westrofft with Edward involved a few more kisses like that one. Her cheeks felt amazingly hot all of the sudden. She made her way past him and into the open phone booth. "Just...just let me call a few places..."

"Ok." He smirked but followed her into the cramped space. "But, can you wait for...for just a few minutes?" Edward pushed his way into the booth, making her back up against the wall as he wrapped his hand around the old brass handle once more and pulled the door shut, giving them some privacy.

A few university students made their way back into the main hall of the youth hostel. Having to pass the phone area, they spied a suitcase and a long mechanic's case strewn on the marble floor in front of the phone.

"Is Elric in there talking to his girl again?" One uttered as they all noticed the glass windows of the booth fogged up and opaque. Whatever going on in there...was causing the small area to heat up.

"Ew..." Another said as they walked off. "Remind me to take something to clean off the receiver when I use it tonight...it's probably gonna be  _sticky_." They all laughed at Edward's expense, thinking he really really missed his girlfriend tonight.

-fin


	20. Sleeping it Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Man, no one told me it'd be like this on my wedding night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3/16/14: A/N: Oh, fluffy EdxWin wedding night drabbles! I love 'em, don't fear, rated PG.

Central City hosted the most beautiful wedding in all the world. The golden bride and groom sure believed this despite all the hard work involved in putting it together. What started off as a small ceremony in Winry's front yard soon grew and grew. It was Pinako and Isumi's fault the guest list swelled and overflowed, their logic being the couple had made so many friends along the way, that to leave any out would be rude. So, Resembool in springtime just couldn't host the final guest list – Alphonse would have had to construct an entire hotel with his alchemy. And, although the youngest Elric assured them he could do it, the young couple begrudgingly decided they'd have to move the venue to a more accommodating site. When Alex Armstrong volunteered the Armstrong family estate in Central, the two love birds bickered but finally consented. Edward wondered what poor Alex had to do to convince his sister, the mean Ice Queen of Briggs to allow this, since he'd heard the mansion came into her hands shortly before the Promised Day. At second thought, he really didn't want to know.

The whole thing transpired as one big blur for the two: A beautiful bride in simple white; a nervous young man in dashing black. I do's were said and rings exchanged. Without realizing it, Edward Elric and Winry Rockbell became man and wife. Then, the party started.

Streams of people flowed into the ballroom. Musicians played and champagne fell into real crystal flutes. Delicious food was devoured and finally, they served the white lacy cake. Couples danced. Friends imbibed too much alcohol and made fools of themselves for others to remember for years to come. Alphonse gave a toast that left no one with dry eyes in the room. A table was piled high with presents that they'd have shipped back to Resembool.

Tickets had also been purchased for an extended honeymoon trip to Xing with Al and Mei Chang as chaperones. Emperor Ling made sure to complete the trans-desert rail crossing on the Xingese side prior to the wedding date just so the Elrics and Mei could come visit. General Mustang's work improving the Ishvalan infrastructure also included the Amestrian portion of the trans-desert rail, although Edward believed this more for improving the General's political ambitions rather than for their wedding or honeymoon trip. Still, the General and his attache, Captain Hawkeye appeared together for both the wedding and reception, the latter wearing something Ed and Winry had never seen before on her – an evening dress.

When the clock struck midnight, the exhausted newlyweds made their way to a white limousine, Winry having to tuck in the length of her extravagant white dress just to sit. Alex had offered them the most sumptuous room in the mansion for the night, but both the bride and groom knew that they'd be pestered by Ed's army buddies, or even his brother, also staying in the house that night, so Edward treated his bride to the most sumptuous room in Central Grand Hotel – the  _Honeymoon Suite._

After a short ride, the two made their way through the glamorous hotel, the bellboy happily taking Ed's generous tip after he opened the door. Edward looked at Winry and before she could protest, he attempted to hoist her up and carry her inside. He attempted but was too exhausted and stumbled with her to his knees.

"Ack!" He gently sat his wife down on the plush carpet. "I'm sorry!"

"I'm not THAT heavy, Ed." She teased. Winry knew how tired he was and she felt the same way. "I can walk in, myself. You can do that "carrying me across the threshold" thing tomorrow when we come back from breakfast with your brother." She smiled as he stood, then helped her up. They both entered their suite and shut the door behind them.

Winry decided she'd had enough of the monstrous dress her grandmother convinced her to wear. She shimmied toward the bathroom, untying and unsnapping the stays as she traveled. Edward caught a final glimpse of her stepping over the billowing fluff of a gown, now discarded on the floor as she, wearing nothing but a white lacy stocking-thing shut the bathroom door. The poor ex-alchemist looked down at this pants and sighed because even after witnessing the most gorgeous woman in the world half naked, he was just too tired for an erection. "Man, no one told me it'd be like  _this_ on my wedding night." He pulled at his tie and began his search for his pajamas.

After a long wait and a little snooze, Edward heard the running water stop and his bride exited the bathroom. Winry now, wore a long white nightgown, a sexy thing he thought she'd said Paninya had talked her into buying. She plopped down on the bed next to him and turned to her new husband.

"Well." She didn't bother to hide her new nervousness with her best friend as she pilfered the satin material of her gown as she spoke. "I guess, you know...it's  _time_." The mechanic didn't have to explain what she meant. Ever since the two announced their engagement, their well-meaning friends bombarded them with jibs and jibes over  _the wedding night._ She and Ed had never been prudes about sex- in  _private_. They just though of physical affection toward each other as  _theirs_ alone and not for others. Now they sat upon silky sheets dressed in their nightclothes and neither one could think of a single reason NOT to consummate their marriage that night.

Except, they both were too tired to do it.

"Uh, all right." Ed gulped and leaned toward his wife. With trembling hands, he caressed her soft, bare shoulders and pulled her in for an even softer kiss. They both fell backward onto the pillows. When the groom opened his golden eyes, the two lay nose to nose and he felt her warm breath on his face.

"Ed?" Winry whispered, barely able to speak and almost asleep since her head met the pillow.

"Hmm?" He replied and closed his eyes.

"Would you, would you be mad if we didn't, you know, tonight?"

"Hmm, mmmm," He uttered indicating he felt the same way as his bride, he'd rather sleep now and make love later.

"Good." She closed her eyes to the sound of her husband's faint snoring.

They held each other close and slept off that god-forsaken huge wedding that ruined their wedding night. After a good sleep, though, anything was possible.

-fin


	21. Starry Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He needed to remind Rebecca when she came out, that Central nights never had as many stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5/31/15 A/N: Just a slice of life piece and some EdxWin kid OC's.

Jean Havoc mouthed his old cigarette, tossing it from one side of his curved grin to the other. He already felt jittery without the nicotine but it was easier to deal with the withdraw shakes by sucking on an unlit cig than incur Rebecca's wrath. He always did crazy shit for a gal and giving up his favorite hobby really wasn't that out of place. Breda still teased him about it. Hell, he didn't care because he bet Heymans wasn't getting any ass even if he quit eating so much. Still, Jean wasn't quite sure how he ended up like this, a former paraplegic returned to the service of Amestris and on his first vacation with his new girlfriend, Rebecca Catalina. And, it turned out to be a long vacation at that, with a tour of the south.

"Jean!" Ever so perky, Becky almost frolicked to the bench where the brooding soldier sat and sucked the tobacco smell off that old cigarette. She caught sight of him and frowned for a second before realizing the cig was the same old disintegrating one he was puffing on the day before. She decided to let him have it for now. "Tickets!" The brunette handed her boyfriend his train ticket and plopped down next to him. "I think the train to Resembool should be here any minute...are you excited about seeing Edward again?" She, herself, had only met the Fullmetal Alchemist in passing after the events of the Promised Day but both her bestie, Riza and her current companion told her a lot about the young man and his young family.

"I can say I'm looking forward to seeing the Chief again. It's been a long time." He wondered how the little brat had grown up so fast and gotten married before he could. He wondered just what kind of girl this Winry Rockbell was to be able to put up with the kid's foul mouth. Then again, maybe Ed also gave up some old bad habits in order to please his own woman...and get some ass himself. Gross, Jean had to shake the thought out of his head of that punk actually screwing a girl. Yet, he knew the deed was done because the damn Elric clan kept multiplying and at last count there were three Rockbell-Elric children with one on the way. He smiled thinking about how far Ed came and how hard he and his brother fought just so he could have this normal life.

"What's so funny?" Rebecca elbowed her boyfriend, trying to get him to open up and share the inner joke with her.

"Nothing...just...I'm having trouble seeing Ed  _married with children_."

"Why's that?" She looked a teeny bit angry. "Because he's so much younger than you and you feel you need to catch up?"

"Uh..." He needed to tread carefully here. "No...no, he just was such a mouthy little punk. It's hard for me to see him as a family man. I mean, if you could have heard the obscenities pouring from his bratty little mouth, especially at the General..." Jean didn't need to elaborate on  _which_  General, Rebecca knew there was only  _one_  to Jean, the one who with the help of Tim Marcoh, restored his ability to walk.

"From what I heard, Ed and Al didn't have any sort of father figure growing up. You filthy men and Mustang were the only source of testosterone he could model his behavior from. It's probably your team's fault he swore like a soldier...after all, he probably learned it all from the dirty lot of you."

"Awww, we weren't that bad to him." He pulled the soggy cigarette from his mouth, eyeballed it, sighed and tucked it back into the inside pocket of his tan vest. "Captain Hawkeye kept us all in line, she acted as everyone's mother hen...even Ed respected her."

"It's hard not to respect Riza, she'd shoot your earlobe off if you didn't." Rebecca giggled.

"Here's our train!" Jean stood up and offered a hand to Rebecca to do the same. He smiled when she laughed at his chivalry. The twinkling sound of her laughter served as one of the few things he enjoyed now that she forbade smoking. "I hope the Chief is ready for us."

* * *

"Edward Elric!" Winry's shrill voice carried downstairs and all the way to the basement and reverberated inside the skull of the former alchemist. "You'd better have gotten the boys dressed!" Her footsteps thumbed heavily as she lumbered down the stairs in search of her hiding spouse and what she assumed two naked boys and one preciously dressed little girl. Each step came down more forcefully than usual – not because she was angry (though that helped) but because Winry carried about thirty pounds of extra weight consisting of fluid, fat and one fast growing Elric baby. She felt very tired at the next to last step. "Edwar..." A sudden dizzy spell caused her to stop yelling, not finishing her husband's name, instead, she plopped her wide butt down on the step to rest. The blond knew her blood pressure probably soared due to anger, something she failed to control these days, so she focused on breathing in and out until the spell passed. She heard the creaking of the basement door opening as she opened her eyes.

"Win?" Ed slowly crept from his hideaway and carried their youngest son, Charles, the fat, blue eyed baby clad only in his dirty nappy and sucking happily on a green pacifier. Holding fast to his shirt tails, a little girl with the same crystal blue eyes peeked at her mommy, hoping she'd quit yelling. "You ok?" He knew it was so close to the new baby's due date, and his wife's abrupt shouting cessation worried him more than her wrath.

"Yeah." Said wife huffed to catch her breath and caught sight of one pair of golden eyes and two sets of blue. "Where's Ethan?" She squinted, scanning the hallway for her eldest son.

"Right, here, Mommy." Ethan Elric, all of five years old, skipped into the room wearing a pair of blue flannel pajama bottoms with white fluffy clouds printed upon them. He also wore a dress shirt complete with clip on tie. "I dressed myself!" His proud voice soothed her frayed nerves.

"You sure did." She glared at Edward, his job was supposed to be getting the boys ready to meet their guests. "But, these pajama pants are just too handsome to wear with your dress shirt." Winry tried to smooth back the cowlick Ethan inherited from his father, but to no avail. "Why don't you go look in your closet for something...brown?" She knew his dress pants hung on a low bar and she had pressed them that morning.

"M-kay, Momma." He smiled big, his amber eyes shining bright then Ethan skipped merrily past her and up the stairs toward his and his baby brother's bedroom. "Daddy was showing Sarah some alch'mee...I don't like alch'mee." Ed and Sarah both huffed at being ratted out. "I wanted to look at Daddy's leg...Daddy?" He stopped, his hand still on the railing. "Daddy, next time, let me look atcha leg and Momma won't be so mad. Kay?"

"Momma?" Sarah Elric, four years old and the spitting image of her mother, sat on the bottom stair and tugged at Winry's pink skirt. "It's my fault. I asked Daddy if you could use alchemy to make dolls and he was showing me an array in the basement." She crinkled the cotton fabric in her tiny hands. "Ethan's just mad, all he likes is automail and he doesn't understand alchemy." The younger child pronounced her words more correctly than her older brother.

"Sweety," She patted the girl's hand. "Daddy's problem is that HE'S the adult and HE was put in charge of dressing your brothers." Ed gulped as his wife stared him down speaking calmly to her child but glaring at her husband. "Alchemy could wait until that was done." She stood up and wobbled down the remaining stairs, then outstretched her arms, non-verbally asking for the baby Edward clutched. "C'mere Charlie Boy." Upon seeing his mommy, the one-year-old put out his arms and smiled a goofy smile, the edges of which poked past his binky as he continued sucking. Winry knew that grin, it was the same ornery one her husband sported since as long as she could recall.

"Sorry, Win." Edward gently handed Charlie Boy into his mother's soft arms." You know it just tickles me that one of our kids is an alchemical genius..." He winked at Sarah who answered with a giggle. "...and the other a machine prodigy like his  _beautiful_ mother." Ed couldn't hide the pride in his voice and made sure to emphasize Winry's good looks in an attempt to soothe her anger. "I just couldn't help myself wanting to see if she could activate the array I'd created."

"I didn't do it." Sarah pouted. "I couldn't see it in my head the way Daddy can."

"Just takes practice, Sport." Ed patted her blond head and tugged one of her pig-tails. "You'll get it."

Bark! Bark! Bark! The loud sound of the family dog carried through the open front windows.

"Ed, I need to change Charlie's diaper, can you see who's out there? We have to be at the train station in half an hour to meet Jean and Rebecca..." She hoisted the chubby baby on her full hip.

"I'll get rid of 'em." Ed started walking toward the door. "Sport, help your mom change the baby, 'kay?" He winked again.

"Ew... he smells like poopy!" Sarah crinkled her nose.

"Help your mommy – she's tired, ok?" This time, he spoke with a stern voice.

"C'mon baby girl." Winry moved toward the workshop where she had the downstairs changing station set up.

"Ok, Momma." Sarah relented, she loved her mom more than she hated dirty baby diapers.

Bark! Bark! Bark!

"Shaddup Roy!" He yelled at the black and white Akita in the front yard. Edward took a few more steps and swung open the green front door. A smiling and familiar face greeted him.

"You named the dog  _Roy?_ " Jean Havoc stood taking up the doorway. "That's classic!"

"Hey!" Edward stepped aside, holding the door open for his old teammate. He smiled cordially at the perky woman who followed. "We were on our way to pick you guys up at the station."

"Train arrived early and we felt like walking."

"Let me help you with your stuff." Ed motioned to take the satchels both carried but they shooed him away. "This all you brought?"

"We've left the trunks there since we're just staying over...the station master put them behind the counter and pointed us toward the house." Havoc ushered Rebecca to his side.

"The walk was lovely, and good exercise for Jean's legs after sitting so long." A sound from the adjacent room caught Rebecca's attention and Winry lumbered in, carrying freshly diapered baby on her hip. A little girl with shiny blond pig-tails skipped behind her. "Oh my, you must be Winry!"

"That's me." Winry smiled but couldn't hide her tired appearance. "This is Sarah." She nodded toward her daughter. "And this lunk of child is Charlie." The mechanic hoisted the infant up higher on her hip. "I see you made it here yourselves, I hope you're not too weary."

"Not at all." Jean answered for his girlfriend. "If scrawny Al Elric walked all the way from Resembool Station, I knew I could." He reached out a hand to Ed. "How is your brother?" The soldier nearly jumped when Edward's warm flesh and blood right hand grasped his in a firm handshake. His gut filled with happiness for the young man – a long time ago, Jean Havoc would never thought to see the day he'd shake Edward's real hand.

"He's great, planning a visit to see us in Rush Valley in a few months."  

"He better." Winry wobbled over to the sofa and plopped down, still holding the chubby boy. "He's not missed seeing any of these kids after they were born...AND, if Ed decides to trick me into giving THIS child a horrible middle name..." She stopped to rub her swollen tummy. "...Al will need to keep me from killing his brother." She leered at Ed. "Like he did after Charlie Boy here was born." Winry nuzzled the baby's soft blond hair as she spoke, inhaling his wondrous baby powder smell.

 

"HIS name is Charles  _Buccaneer_ Elric. You're never going to let me live that down, are you, woman?" Ed's right eye twitched. "That BOY is going to be a prize fighter...he'll need a tough name!"

Rebecca nearly choked with laughter.

"Daddy! Mommy!" Ethan's voice carried down the stairs, interrupting his parents and stealing the attention of all in the room. "I found my outfit!" He strutted down the stairs still wearing his blue pajama pants with puffy white clouds. However, instead of changing into his brow slacks, he found the matching pajama top. "I'm ready! And, I match!"

"I'm dying!" Rebecca feigned distress and raised the back of her hand to her forehead. "All these cute babies...too much...too much adorableness!" She backtracked and pretended to faint just in time for Jean to catch her.

"They're  _cute_ , alright." Winry pouted. "In fact,  _this_ cutie just dropped another  _cute_ load in his nappy." She handed Charlie Boy to Ed. "Your turn to clean up his cute bottom, Daddy." Her husband caught a whiff of the baby and scrunched up his face.

"Winry, what in the hell are you feeding him?" Ed held the giggling infant at arm's length and marched him into the changing room for a second time as soft laughter from their company echoed in his ears.

* * *

Nine o'clock p.m.,on the dot, the Elric household shuts down. Bathing starts at seven and night-nights are given at eight so, hopefully by nine, all three precious blond babies are down for the night. And, as far as nights go, this late August night in Resembool topped many before it for serene beauty.

Jean lounged on a comfy bench on the Elric-Rockbell front porch and sipped some of Granny Pinako's strong bourbon. He leaned back on the railings and gazed upon the perfect and clear night sky, just losing the glow of dusk to the blue of night. He needed to remind Rebecca when she came out, that Central nights never had as many stars. The soldier mused on if he could bunk out here tonight, he'd not mind sleeping in the elements if the last sight before slumber could be the wondrous starry sky of Resembool.

"Whew...Winry's grandma's booze sure is stiff." Rebecca plopped down next to her boyfriend and carried with her her own glass of brown liquor.

"Yeah...maybe we'll meet her as we pass through Rush Valley tomorrow." He twirled the ice and alcohol in his glass. "I've heard some stories from Ed about her being a real ball buster."

"She had to be." Winry had followed Rebecca onto the porch to escape the heat remaining in the house. She found a seat in a cushioned rocking chair and tried in vain to use her left leg to maneuver an old wooden step stool over to prop up her swollen feet. "Or Ed would of walked all over her." She gave up and let her tired legs fall to the floor.

"I wasn't so hard to deal with." Ed sauntered out carrying a glass of cold milk in one hand and his own bourbon in the other. He'd seen his wife struggle with the step stool and give up so he set the glasses down on a table, knelt on his real knee and pushed the stool over. Winry smiled an adoring smile at her husband's kindness, and raised her feet up so he could place the stool underneath. He stood and picked up the frosty glass of milk, placing it in his weary wife's hands. "Here's your vile cow secretion. Enjoy." The former alchemist winked at her, grabbed his drink and made his own seat on the top step.

"Thank you, Edward." Winry sipped the milk, giving herself a white mustache. Exhausted from wrangling the children and getting dinner ready, she lacked the energy for any creative comeback on his milk slur. "I will."

"This child might be the Milkman's baby." Ed chuckled as his wife glared past her drink. "She's craved nothing but milk since she found out she was pregnant again." He took a sip of his drink, and exhaled through is closed teeth when the strong alcohol bit him. "I'm considering buying a cow to keep her in dairy...and you know how much I hate milk."

"Har, har...Ed." Winry retorted and licked the milk off her upper lip.

"Hey Ed, Winry..." Rebecca interjected. "Thanks again for putting us up for the night, I hope it wasn't any trouble."

"Not at all." Edward eyed his wife finishing off her milk. "We were heading to Rush Valley for the winter anyway, you really timed the visit perfectly."

"Yeah, Granny went last week to supervise them setting up the townhouse for us. Most of our stuff has already been shipped and we hired some help for her too." She set her glass back down on the table.

"You both have it worked out, don't you." Jean marveled at the young couple: three kids, one on the way and they managed a biannual migration from Rush Valley to Resembool each year with the changing seasons.

"Pretty much. Ethan starts school in a few weeks in Rush Valley and its way more comfortable there in the winter."

"And, Resembool summers are so much more tolerable than Rush Valley's." Winry finished. "I like the break from work too."

"It's true. She only works on emergency orders here in Resembool over the summer." Ed leaned back and rubbed his wife's swollen ankle. Winry released a happy sigh in response to his touch.

"The rest of the year I'm so busy, I can't see straight." She smiled down at the young man at her feet. "Ed's a great dad, he manages everything for me and doesn't let the kids get in too much trouble while I work."

Suddenly a tinny jingling sound carried up from the yard and a shape leapt upon the porch, knocking Ed down on his back. Before anyone could assist him, his dog pinned him down and proceeded to lick his face.

"Roy!" Ed stuttered and stammered as the large dog's tongue ran up his face. He tried not to open his mouth to talk lest he get dog slobber in it. "Down Roy!" The animal backed off and sat wagging his tail.

"Chief, why did you name the dog after the General?" Havoc couldn't wait to tell Mustang.

"Jean, you know exactly why he did." Rebecca finished off her bourbon. "Now he has his  _own_ dog to order around."

Ed didn't answer, but his crooked grin let her know she was correct. "Welp, I'm beat." He got up, stretched and extended his right arm to Winry who used it to pull herself out of the chair. "We all have an early train in the morning so I suggest we get some shut eye."

"Just a minute there, boss." The soldier wrapped an arm around the brunette at his side, non-verbally signaling to their host he'd like some private time.

"Ok...good night you two." The former alchemist winked and escorted his wife back inside the house.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Winry teased as she let the door shut behind her.

"They really are making it work, aren't they?" Rebecca mused wistfully. True, Edward and Winry seemed to have their lives figured out. And, Ed obviously thrived out of the military and without alchemy.

"I don't think there's another woman other than Winry who could handle that boy." Havoc reached inside his vest pocket for his ratty cigarette and began sucking on its filter. "...If you'd only have known him years ago, you'd never, ever have imagined he'd settle down."

"It suits him...suits them both." Rebecca leaned in and rest her head on Jean's shoulder and they both looked up on the immense Resembool night sky, their minds wandering on the what ifs and might haves for only a second.

"Yeah." Jean muttered and stuffed the soggy cig back in its pocket.


	22. Guiltless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 2/28/16: This is a warm up, I'm trying to get back into it after some time off. I really hope writing becomes more therapeutic, because it's been a really rough week.

 

Edward hated being lazy. When he and Al traveled Amestris in their quest for the Philospher's Stone, he always charged awake early, ate enough breakfast for three Alex Louis Armstrongs and Sig Curtises combined, then he and his brother started their search or research for that day. He also didn't like laying around in the morning because he knew that his poor brother couldn't sleep and waited all night alone for him to wake up. The alchemist knew his sin caused his baby brother this loathsome existence of never sleeping, not being able to enjoy Mrs. Hughes, Granny or even Winry's cooking or even being able to feel the warmth of the sun on his face. Ed went to bed late and woke up early so Alphonse would only be alone for a little while. Then, the boy caught frequent naps throughout the day when his little brother was occupied with their teammates or surrounded by books in wherever they studied.

The absolute BEST time and place for these naps was back in Resembool when Winry repaired his mangled automail and he had no excuse to go storming off into a conflict or searching for a way to restore Al. Ed felt little guilt for letting himself snooze under his favorite tree, letting the cool grass tickle his bare right foot. Or, he'd sprawl out on the leather upholstered banquette on the Rockbell's first floor only to wake up covered in a cold, light quilt. He knew that his brother kept himself busy helping the ladies of the house with chores or keeping Winry company while she worked. The mechanic never shooed Al from her workshop either, instead, she often verbally described the tasks she took upon the metal and wires in her capable hands. Edward sure didn't get that sort of treatment if he ever got curious with her work.

Ed also took frequent snoozes on the train. He couldn't help it, something about the rumble of the wheels on the track and the slight swaying of the car just lulled him to sleep. He told Al to wake him, not to let him nod off but his brother always ignored that request saying that he needed his sleep and that he was content to watch the moving scenery while the elder slept. After discovering that Ed probably ate and slept for both himself and for Al's body on the other side of the gate, the alchemist stopped feeling as much shame for indulging in too much food or slumber. In fact, Al and Winry actually started encouraging him to take in both more often so that it almost started to become annoying. Almost.

The night after the boys arrived home in Resembool after the Promised Day, Edward Elric slept alone in his room for the very first time. Pinako insisted that Al sleep in the room adjacent to the kitchen, the room Ed always used and Alphonse, having mastered falling asleep on his own again back in the Central City Hospital, had no trouble passing out that night. Ed, on the other hand, wasn't used to the big double bed in Uncle Urey and Auntie Sarah's old room he was given. The Rockbell's didn't ever use that room, but upon the boy's return, they both became determined that both boys would occupy this very room, only they hadn't bought twin beds yet for them. Alphonse promised that he'd transmute the larger bed into two they could use, but he got too tuckered out that night. Alchemy would wait until the morning so the boy's slept apart for now. After what seemed to him as hours (but in reality was mere minutes) Ed finally drifted off.

The young man could have sworn the windows were closed the night before, yet, he clearly felt a cold breeze on his right foot. Somewhere off in the distance, wind chimes tinkled and leaves on a nearby tree rustled. The aroma of frying bacon and Granny Pinako's motor oil coffee filled his nostrils but he just couldn't fully awake. This bed, Winry's parent's bed, felt so comfortable, so soft and safe. The warm spring night only allowed him to use a thin sheet as a blanket and this welcoming cool breeze wafted through the fibers and touched his skin making him loath any sort of vertical movement. The only annoyance the former alchemist felt was the morning sunlight searing upon his closed eyelids.

Suddenly, a cloud or something obscured the bright light, causing the young man to smile. He also could have sworn he felt a slight pressure or dip in the side of the mattress. Also, tucked behind the strong smell of breakfast, the secondary note of sunflowers along with automail oil hit is olfactory nerves causing hims to release an audible sigh of happiness and content. Edward was reminded of Winry, a person he realized he held very strong feelings. He didn't really know how to express them yet, but he could no longer deny or pretend those emotions didn't exist. She simply couldn't be his sister-figure anymore, she became so much more.

The young man stirred a bit then slowly opened his golden eyes just in time for the sunlight to reflect off of them. He heard a small chuckle. He knew he was no longer alone.

"Are you going to sleep in today" Winry sat on the edge of his bed. She wore a thin button up shirt, skirt and an apron splattered with fresh bacon grease. It was her strong body that effectively blocked the sun from his eyes so that he saw her in a halo of morning light.

"Mmmmm." Was the only word he could muster and at the same time thinking that this young woman looked like a goddess covered in light. "Maybe."

"Well..." The mechanic hoped Granny checked on breakfast because when she saw Edward sleeping so peacefully and content, she couldn't leave him. She'd sat here for a good ten minutes watching the young man. "I guess we'll let Alphonse eat your share."

"Don't care." Even with his eyes closed, he knew Winry smirked just by the tone of her voice.

"Fine then."

She rose, and the damnable sunlight seared his closed eyes once more. Winry watched Ed's still form as she walked around the bed and left the room for the kitchen. She wasn't angry, no, not one bit. She'd let him sleep as long as he liked because he deserved it...for now. The girl didn't even mind saving him some breakfast for later, whenever he decided to grace them with his presence.

Yeah, she didn't mind at all.


	23. Intent on Discipline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What the hell did you do?” The elderly woman set upon the boy, intent on disciplining the child in her charge for burning down his house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy FMA Day 2016!

He hoped his sweaty hands didn't disturb any of the freshly penned ink on the deed. The golden-haired man clutched the legal document as his left hand struck the worn wood of the green front door he now faced. The gentleman's ears took in soft and familiar footfalls upon the hardwood floor and the knob turned and the door opened.

 

Green eyes flashed and his heart grew large.

 

“Hohenheim.” The young woman smiled and welcomed the older man inside the rented home they shared. “Where'd you roam off to this morning?” The couple strolled into the tiny kitchen and upon entry, the man finally released his prized possession onto the whitewashed table.

 

“Happy birthday, Trisha.” The words tumbled past his smiling lips as the parchment unfurled upon the surface of the table and the green-eyed woman inspected the document carefully. He scrutinized her face, trying to ascertain if the gift brought her as much joy as it brought him in the purchase.

 

“This...what is this?” She didn't really need to ask, she knew exactly what it was.

 

“The land up on the hill overlooking the valley...and close to the Rockbells...it is yours.” He wished he could say it was _theirs_ but the alchemist knew to keep his unique name out of any official registers so he recorded the purchase and the title only in Trisha Elric's name so the property was hers alone. “I'm going to build our house right next to the tree...” The woman wrapped her arms around him before he finished.

 

“Oh, Hohenheim!” Trisha squeezed the man until his face turned red. He squirmed from her strangling happy embrace and hugged the woman in return.

 

“I went to the lumber yard right after and ordered all the materials.” He twirled the young woman around and set her back down, his hands at her waist, her arms around his neck. “I've had this design in mind for a few years now...I think I've calculated everything down to the wainscoting...”

 

“Alchemy? Really?” Trisha smiled. “You are building our home with alchemy?”

 

“Well, you know...I'm not really handy and I'm not sure you want to wait too long do you?” He moved his right hand to rub her stomach. “If you let me build it by hand our little one may not have a roof over their head in time.”

 

“I don't think the baby will care...and I won't care as long as when it's done I get to live in that house with you.” Trisha lunged forward and tucked her head in his chest, taking in his comforting smell, the scent of leather and tobacco – odd because he didn't smoke at all. She hugged him and breathed in, knowing this home would be filled with love and most likely, disobedient children. As to cement her line of thinking, the infant in her womb gave her a hard kick.

 

* * *

 

Winry screamed when she saw the flames soar high above the live oak tree in the Elric's front yard. The young girl had stepped out of her room to cool off for even though it was early autumn, the solid yellow house retained the heat of the day and the second story remained toasty as the sun fell beyond the rolling hills of Resembool. The bright orange light caught her apt attention and that old tree silhouetted by roaring fire turned her stomach. Edward and Alphonse left for that house after sharing dinner with her and Granny only a scant hour earlier.

 

“Granny!” She screeched and darted back into her room, not minding the open door. The girl took two steps at a time coming down the stairs and nearly toppled her diminutive grandmother in the process.

 

“Slow down, Winry!” The old woman warned. “What's the big deal?” She was wiping soapy dish water off her glasses with the hem of her worn blue apron.

 

“The house!” Winry panted. “The Elric's house...it's on fire!” She moved toward the front door but a warm yet strong hand caught her elbow and kept her in place.

 

“No, you call Constable Burt and tell him to get the fire brigade up the hill!” The old woman marched with surprising speed to the old green door, throwing it open in one fell swoop. “I'll go make sure the boys are out!” She traveled to the first step before Winry could beg to go too and gave her granddaughter a stern look which shook the girl to her senses.

 

“Right!” Winry ran to the phone table as Pinako trudged up the hill.

 

“Please....please, oh please....” The elderly woman muttered under the breath as she feared the absolute worse, that both those already broken boys perished in this fire. She grunted as the hard stone walk appeared below her house slipper clad feet. Pinako gazed up and the flames reflected red and yellow in her eyeglasses. The view of the house, however, was obscured by a looming black figure, an enormous suit of armor and its small companion blocked a perfect vision of a home engulfed in fire. “Ed! Al!” Indeed, both Elric brothers stood safe and sound and watched the flames, the elder and smaller of the two still clutched a blazing torch in his real left hand.

 

“Granny...” Edward addressed her, his voice saddened by the destructive task he and Alphonse just completed.

 

“What the hell did you do?” The elderly woman set upon the boy, intent on disciplining the child in her charge for burning down his house.

 

“It's...it's because...” Alphonse, ever Edward's champion, answered first. “It's so we don't...” He just couldn't utter the words.

 

“It's because there's no going back.” Ed stood dressed in his new black suit and the tacky red coat he'd made from all those skeins and skeins of scarlet-dyed wool purchased at last spring's Sheep Festival. The updraft created from the billowing flames tossed the boy's golden fringe around his face, yet his solid, stable stare worked to penetrate right through the old woman's fogging spectacles and she was taken aback.

 

“What on earth do you mean?”

 

Bark! Bark! Den scampered up the hill, the bright light of the fire intriguing the dog but her barking interrupting her master.

 

“We can't come back.” Al managed. “Not until we have our bodies back.”

 

“Granny!” Winry's voice carried up the hill as the girl had followed the black dog to the burning home. “Ed! Al!” She ran toward her playmates, relieved that they were not harmed. “What happened?” The girl noticed that Ed still held the glowing torch...and a suitcase sat on the ground by his right leg.

 

“Winry...” At last the elder had trouble delivering his words as he gazed upon the worried blue eyes of the girl who built his automail arm and leg. A girl who helped save his life and made it so he could walk again on his own. “This means we can't come home until we've succeeded...until I've gotten Al's body back.”

 

“But...” She knew it meant both brothers would be leaving, would start a dangerous journey together. That pit of fear in the bottom of her stomach at the thought of both boys dying in the fire morphed to simple despair on the realization that they would soon leave. And, Edward had passed the State Alchemist exam and joined the military so there was no telling where he'd be ordered to go...and do.

 

She couldn't help it, her eyes started to water and the tears welled. At first, she thought about blaming it on the burning wood and paint, but she caught sight of Edward mouth as he smiled and she knew he'd see right through any lie. Indeed, he noticed as the first tear ran a rolling path down her cheek.

 

“Why are you crying?” He seemed perturbed. Ed often chastised the girl for crying “like a baby” as he often teased. Yet, now, he lacked the capacity for mirth – something about burning his childhood home to ashes didn't allow that emotion. Winry responded by producing more tears and whispering just loud enough for all four of them to hear.

 

“Because you won't...” She gulped. “I'm crying for the both of you.”

 

“Silly...” Ed let her cry, he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it now, the deed was done.

 

“You two are the idiots.” Pinako crossed her arms but kept looking onward. “Just because you've burnt down one home doesn't mean you have no home to return to.” The old woman sighed and turned to look toward the old dirt road. Somewhere, off in the long distance, the annoying roar of a hand operated siren wailed as the water truck made it's way toward the Elric house, undoubtedly too late to do any good, but coming none-the-less. She let out a deep breath and finished. “You always have MY home to return to...and me, Winry and Den.” With those words, the old woman turned and began the short walk back down the hill to the big yellow house.

 

The dog and three children were left to watch blaze. The girl wailed silently. The boy gripped the torch in his left hand so hard he nearly snapped it. And the armor, the armor stood silent, indeed lacking the ability to cry.

 


	24. Pushing Buttons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ed is a fifteen-year-old after all. As intelligent as he is, he's also going to try to see how far he can go to annoy a certain Colonel. (not Royxed folks) :) For psyraah - who got me thinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 11/15/16 A/N:
> 
> psyraah on tumblr wrote: "live action ed has little zippers on his sleeves which he would totally fiddle with while sitting in boring meetings with a certain superior, irritating certain superior to no end with the quiet zip zip zip."

ZIP, ZIP, ZIP.

“And in the Southern Region, there were some reports of...”

ZIP, ZIP, ZIP.

“...intermittent border disputes...”

ZIP, ZIP, ZIP.

“...and...” Growing annoyed, he cannot finish his sentence. “Fullmetal? Are you listening to the briefing?”

“What? I’m sitting here with my ears open watching your stupid mouth move!” The youth on the sofa retorts leaving a grin spreading across his face.

Mustang stares the boy down then continues. “There are no reports of casualties, but the Fuhrer has requested more border patrols...”

ZIP, ZIP, ZIP.

“God damnit!” A vein pops up on the Colonel’s temple as he glares at his youngest subordinate. Havoc fails to stifle a chuckle. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Calm down, old man. I’m listening to you, I swear!”

Mustang answers with a growl and this time Hawkeye sighs.

“...As I was saying...”

ZIP, ZIP, ZIP.

“That’s it!” Roy lunges over the desk as Edward cackles loudly. The only thing keeping him from lighting the boy on fire are the firm hands of his lieutenant, holding him back.

“Brother!” Alphonse giggles but still reprimands his older sibling.

“What? What did I do?” Edward feigns innocence as he giggles in turn with his brother.

“Second Lieutenant Havoc!” Riza has a strong lock on the Colonel’s shoulders as he rants profanities. “Please remove Edward’s coat and hang it up.”

“Yes, sir!” The tall soldier turns to the young man, now sprawled nearly upside down on the sofa. “Hand it over, Cheif.” He extends his right hand.

“Aw...no fun.” Ed removes his heavy red coat slowly on purpose and the Second Lieutenant sighs then hangs the garment on the coat rack by the door.

Regaining his composure, their leader straightens up his jacket and takes a deep breath. “...we were not asked to send in reinforcements at this time, but I can’t guarantee that won’t be needed...”

ZIP. ZIP. ZIP.

“That’s it! I’m burning off all his clothes!” He made ready to snap.

“Sir!” Hawkeye didn’t know if she could restrain him further.

“What? What did I do?” Ed all but bats his eyelashes.

“Hand ‘em over, Chief.” Havoc once again stands in front of their youngest team mate and again, his open palm demands something.

“Awww.” Edward rolls his eyes.

“Your boots, hand ‘em over.”

_The next day..._

“...and in the Northern Region, we have reports from Fort Briggs of another attempt to...” A muffled growl interrupts Colonel Mustang’s daily briefing. He sighs and knows the source of the sound comes from Fullmetal. “Edward? Do you have anything to contribute?”

“Go to hell!” Edward, clad only in his skivvies, crosses his arms and sits back in the sofa with a huff.

“...as I was saying...” Mustang triumphantly continues his briefing in peace, for now.


	25. Away in a Manger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 12/23/16: Merry Christmas! I had almost finished this last February and held onto it until now.

Winry didn't relish traveling by train at this point in her life. Albeit by first class thanks to Ed's clout, not even the plush velvet seat cushions could comfort her wide butt right now. She also missed the comfort and warmth of the big yellow house in Resembool, especially now that Granny was making preparations for Solstice dinner. The mechanic sighed, knowing that deciding to join her husband in North City was probably the most stupid decision she's ever made, but she'd be damned if she delivered their child, their _first_ child without him.

 

The baby's due date was just a scant two weeks away, yet a month earlier, Edward Elric could not pass up the opportunity to study the odd alchemic runes discovered in the tunnels the homunculus Sloth excavated beneath Fort Briggs. He'd refused at first, knowing he'd gamble being away from her when she'd need him the most, but she could not live with keeping his wandering soul away from leading the archeology team sent by the Ministry of Alchemy. He promised to stay a week, then return in time to both celebrate the holidays and for the birth. Pinako warned him if he missed it, she'd make it _harder_ for him to sire any more children.

 

Three days into the trip, a tunnel collapse severely injured the former Fullmetal Alchemist.

 

The letter came on a snowy morning in Resembool, Winry having just finished clearing away their breakfast plates. She lost her footing when she read the type, that Ed had been hurt and was listed in serious condition in North City Hospital and she should come right away. Alphonse, already en route to Resembool for the birth of his niece or nephew, had also been notified, by General Mustang himself. The younger Elric called that very day, as Mrs. Elric-Rockbell made her travel preparations despite Granny's warnings about the unpredictability of first births. The mechanic and the alchemist would meet in Central and travel the rest of the way together along with May Chang and her tiny panda. Alphonse assured her that May's alkahestry would heal Brother right up and they'd all be home in time for her to comfortably birth her child while surrounded by family.

 

“Oh!” The tiny Elric in her tummy threw a nasty kick, startling the young mother from her thoughts. She rubbed the long woolen tunic covering the baby and groaned again because she was so huge, her winter coat wouldn’t even close around her mid-section.

 

“You alright?” Alarm and a tinge of fear colored Al's voice and he leaned forward from his seat across from the mechanic.

 

“Yeah.” She shifted to a more comfortable sitting position, moving a sleeping May from her shoulder, awaking the Princess.

 

“...the baby is just awake...” May yawned and stretched. “I imagine they are moving a lot lately.” May took great pains to avoid gender pronouns, but she knew perfectly well the sex of baby growing fast in her friend's belly. The princess gave Winry a questioning look to which the blonde girl nodded approval as the Xingese girl placed her left hand on the young woman's stomach and rubbed gently. “I've never felt such a strong chi in an unborn...you sure you don't want me to tell you if it's a girl or a boy?”

 

“No... Ed and I want to be surprised...but I know from the way junior here acts, that it's a 'he' and odds are he's going to be a mini Edward Elric.” She chuckled.

 

“Gods help us, then.” May joined Winry in soft giggles. “Alphonse? Can you not _feel_ the child's presence? Even from over there in your seat?”

 

“Well...” The young man scrunched his brow and remembered what May and the Chang elders had taught him. He felt a rush, like an invisible wind hit his entire body. Next, an aura, a subtle golden glow surrounded Winry and radiated from her belly. It was the same color and intensity of Brother and it made a wash of happiness fill his soul. “I can! It's...it's...”

 

“Alphonse Elric!” Winry narrowed her eyes. “Don't you dare tell me the sex of my child!”

 

“Oh. Sorry!” The alchemist sat back, cowering from the forceful stare of his surrogate sister. He scratched the back of his head. “That kid really radiates energy, really close to Brother's chi.” Before Al could continue, the trio felt the train come to a stop and the steam whistle blow, signaling their arrival in the cold north.

 

* * *

 

“What the hell did you do?” Winry's screech raised the hairs not just on the back of Ed's neck, but just about everyone on the hospital floor.

 

“It's nothing...really...” The young man tried to downplay his injuries: compound fracture of his right leg and several broken ribs. That was just the flesh, his automail leg had been removed and pieces of which lay in a trash bag under his hospital bed.

 

“You could have DIED!” The very pregnant woman's frown quivered as she fought to hold back tears. Just the thought of losing her husband served to turn her insides upside down – the insides not already squished by baby. She flung herself on the man in the bed and hid her face in his shoulder, wetting the bandages around his chest with her tears. “You jerk! You could have died and left us alone.”

 

“Aw, Win.” He winched at the pain her body pressing on his sore wounds but figured he deserved it for making her hurt too. “We took every precaution...that wall was even braced, but there was a small tremor...”

 

“I never heard of earthquakes in the north, you're very lucky, Brother.” Alphonse tried to help his sibling and sooth his sister in law. “But, May and I are here, and we can help patch you up so we can go home...there's a _niece_...” Winry took a moment to look at Al and stare daggers toward the alchemist. “...or _nephew_ of mine that's coming to visit and I want to be warm and snug in Resembool for that.”

 

“This may hurt a bit.” May came forward holding a folded piece of muslin cloth. “When the bones knit back together, it can feel odd or sting a bit.” She motioned for Winry to stand back from her spouse and the diminutive Xingese princess whipped the cloth into the air and draped it across Ed's injured leg. “Alphonse? Do you want to do this?”

 

“Uh...” The tall alchemist raised both hands and waived. “...um, I don't think I'm ready yet...what if I mess up?”

 

“Nonsense, you've used this technique dozens of times, you are ready...” She crossed her arms and stared up at the younger Elric brother.

 

“Um...Brother?” His bronzed golden eyes searched the sun-gold irises of his sibling searching for any sign of fear. He saw none.

 

“Al, don't be stupid. You trusted me to fix you up all the damn time...one slip up on my part and your seal would have been broken and you'd be gone.” A wide Cheshire cat grin spread across the former alchemist's face. “Bet you didn't know how scared I was I'd accidentally kill you every time I'd repair the armor...what's the worse thing you could do to my leg bone?” Suddenly, Ed thought of having his leg morphed and twisted because of his brother's goof.

 

“Well...actually...” May started to spout off possible side effects of a foul alkahestric healing but the sudden fear showing in both Ed and Winry's eyes kept her from speaking. “Al is extremely proficient in healing broken bones, he can do this!” Her onyx eyes flashed with determination she hoped rubbed off on the younger Elric.

 

“I can do this.” Alphonse took a deep breath. “Everyone, stand back.” He clapped his hands together and prepared to bring them down gently on the array.

 

* * *

 

“Damnit!” Edward wobbled on his wooden crutch from the North City train station ticket counter. He'd never get used to walking on the loaner legs Winry used, but figured she'd have him outfitted with a new automail one when they got back to Resembool – hopefully before she went into labor. It didn't help that his newly healed right leg still hurt like a bitch too. “There was an avalanche ten miles south and the track is closed.” Profanities flooded the young man's thoughts but he kept them from spewing out of his mouth for his wife's sake.

 

“We don't have any control of the weather and snow building up in the mountains.” Winry sighed and rubbed her belly, she still couldn't button her coat over the swelling of her stomach.

 

“We'll just have to make do here until they clear the track.” Alphonse made mental preparations for staying in the North City hotel since it was closest to the hospital in case the baby decided to come early.

 

“They said that could take days and another squall is brewing.” Ed frowned but stayed determined. “I'm not gonna wait!” He stormed off as fast as his weak and healing right leg and fake left could manage.

 

“Where is he going?” May worried what Ed was up to.

 

“Brother is just trying to get us all home.”

 

After about ten minutes of absence, the gimpy former alchemist maneuvered himself back to the waiting area where he family sat. All present couldn't miss the smile creasing the young man's face.

 

“Well, I got us transportation!”

 

“What?” Winry stood slowly, holding her back.

 

“I called some friends at Fort Briggs and they have a supply truck taking provisions to Candon, it's a small town south of here and past the avalanche. AND, they have a train station so we can hope a ride home from there!” He could barely contain his excitement. Ed knew his injuries brought his family north and he'd not be able to bear it if they got stuck here. “They are swinging by the station right now to pick us up.”

 

“Can one of these trucks make it through the snow?” May still held some concern for their new travel arrangements.

 

“You should see the tires on these things – like tank! Hell yeah they can go through snow.”

 

* * *

 

“Like a tank, Brother?” Al's left eyebrow twitched with annoyance as they sat among boxes of food, water and blankets in the back of the supply truck.

 

“How the fuck was I supposed to know it'd have ENGINE trouble!” Ed pouted and crossed his arms.

 

“Well, I supposed if we are broken down, having the military taking care of it is way better than on our own.” Winry leaned in closer to her husband as the cold started seeping through her woolen coat, Ed wrapped his right arm around her.

 

“I'm sorry.” Edward spoke softly to his wife. “I messed up again. We should have stayed in North City.”

 

“Ah, get over it, Ed. I'd have done the same thing if it were my decision.” She was also keen on getting home fast. Her attention was drawn to the tailgate of the truck being drawn suddenly down and a Brigg's soldier peaking inside.

 

“I apologize folks.” He raised his snow goggles to see the family. “We have to track back to the station on foot, grab some of those blankets, we have to get out before the storm worsens.”

 

“Hey, wait a minute!” Ed scooted closer to the soldier. “My wife's pregnant, she shouldn't be hoofing it in the snow!”

 

“And my husband's got a peg leg!” Winry interjected, not wanting to be the sole reason to hold them back. She felt bad for it as soon as the words left her lips.

 

“Oh.” The man scrunched his face in thought. “Stay put.” With that he closed up the back of the truck.

 

“Peg leg, huh?” Edward sneered mildly annoyed yet he figured he'd get about as far in the snow on the wooden loaner leg as his pregnant wife.

 

“Sorry.” The mechanic smiled at her spouse, her mischievous eyes causing Edward to return her grin. Before she could speak again, the Brigg's soldier peaked again into the bed of the supply truck.

 

“Folks, there's a farm about half a mile from the road. We are going to hold up there for the night until the Fort sends a new truck and crew to finish the supply trip to Candon.

 

“A barn?” Ed scowled.

 

“The farmer's house is full up for the holidays, but he offered us the barn...we have portable heaters, blankets, food and water...”

 

“Aw, crap.” Ed huffed. It was Solstice Eve and he totally forgot. “I'm sorry, Win. You should be warm at home with Granny for Solstice.” He knew a barn with hay and warm cattle or sheep would shelter them way better than the metal tin can truck but he couldn’t shake his guilt for bringing his wife and family here in the first place and causing them to miss their own Solstice celebrations.

 

“It's not ideal...” As if he heard his brother's thoughts, Al tried to make light of their situation. “But, better than here.”

 

“...And, we'll get home in time to enjoy Granny's roast for dinner tomorrow.” Winry wished to wash away any guilt from her husband.

 

* * *

 

The small trek to the barn turned into a thirty-minute ordeal. The snow drifts landed up to their thighs, making trudging through the snow slow and difficult. Ed and Winry suffered the most, the former alchemist having to stop every three steps to pant as the cold crept into his stump causing great pains. His right leg, having just been healed, hurt through the cold and the aches worried him he was causing the bones to re-fracture. Winry, not bothered as much by the freezing temperature, moved slow because of her girth. By the time the small party made it to their refuge, the couple collapsed into a pile of hay.

 

“Brother? Winry?” Alphonse knelt by the two and patted Ed's back. “How's the leg?”

 

“Hurts.”

 

“Thanks, Al... we just...need...to catch...our breath.” Winry managed.

 

“Do not worry, we will help the Brigg's men set up the cots and heaters.” May pulled Al away from his brother and sister-in-law so they could recover. The rest of the traveling party began setting up a temporary camp and shoring up the barn so it would stay warm. Within an hour, six cots were set up as well as two kerosene heaters.

 

“The Fort's weather forecast calls for the storm to stop before morning so they can either fix the truck or let us carry on in the new one. Until then, we can use the heater tops to heat up some food and just tuck in for the night.”

 

“Ugh, if I had more energy, and wasn't so HUGE, I bet I could fix the truck.” Winry bemoaned. She really knew there was no way she'd be able to maneuver into the tall engine compartment with her humongous pregnant belly. A cow mooed in an adjacent stall as if to agree.

 

“Shush.” Ed patted her shoulder. “You're not huge, you are carrying around five to seven pounds of baby and twenty pounds of fluids and extra fat to help power your body.”

 

“Well, then why does the scales back home say I've gained fifty pounds...” She whispered the last part.

 

“What?” Ed was cut off by singing, and the opening of the small barn door – access not for the animals, but for people.

 

“... _Solstice is coming; the goose is getting fat...please put a penny in the old man's hat_.” A small group of people started filling the large room, some carrying containers of hot food. They kept singing the tune and kept going, making it a _round_. _“If you don't have a penny, a ha'penny will do, if you don't have a ha' penny, then gods bless you!” 1_

 

“What's going on?” Ed stood and pulled his tired wife up next to him as they and their fellow travelers faced the owner of the barn and his family.

 

“We just couldn't celebrate knowing you tired fellows are sitting in cold the barn.” A bearded man spoke. “Name's Jedd and this is my family...” He waved to the people following him inside. “We don't have much, but want you to share our meal.” Somehow, foldout tables were produced and opened and a meager feast set upon them.

 

“I think we can add to this wonderful dinner!” Alphonse motioned to the two Brigg's soldiers who nodded and opened a crate of rations they brought for themselves.

 

“Splendid idea!” May motioned to Winry and Ed to help them and the soldiers open up the packages of food and set them upon the tables.

 

Before long, an enormous spread of goodies, some hot, some cold lay before wide eyes and drooling mouths. Without being asked, the farmer's family brought in chairs, plates and utensils enough for everyone.

 

“Now THIS is what I call a Solstice Feast!” Jedd chortled and took his place at the head of the table and everyone joined in. The boisterous crowd grew silent as mouths formerly singing now chewed food and the only sounds produced were groans upon tasting something wonderful and the clattering of forks and knives upon porcelain and pewter plates. In a matter of sheer minutes, the group consumed their food and sat back on the chairs, crates and hay they sat only to rub their full tummies with content.

 

“Oh, boy.” Winry groaned after eating her meal. “That was over too fast!” She smiled at Ed who grinned in agreement.

 

Somewhere, the sound of a piano tinkling echoed through the now brightly-lit barn. During the initial merrymaking, someone had wheeled the farmhouse's upright piano through the snowy path and into the barn. Next, the fair tones of a violin sang out, then the plug and boom of a string bass.

 

“Where the hell these instruments come from?” Edward whispered into his wife’s ear. She shushed him lest they offend their hosts.

 

“Who cares! This is great!” The crowd began to clap in time, obviously knowing the tune the musicians were about to play.

 

 

“ _A simple path, the road less traveled._

_Pick up your map, lay down your gavel._

 

_When all is said and done…only love is on._

 

_Doubt drives this thirst and pain drives this hunger._

_But don’t let the strife that drives your life tear you asunder._

 

_When all is said and done…only love is on._

 

_And it’s the only gift that could ever cost so much and still be free._

_And my only wish, is that it finds its home in the heart of you and me._

 

_Only love is on the page - when your days are over._

_Only love is…_

 

_Everybody's strung out and everybody frets,_

_But there is no music without tension on the neck._

_For love is not unconditional unless conditions call upon it._

_It’s not emotional to say you can’t go on without it._

 

_When all is said and done._

_Only love is…_

 

_It’s the only gift that could ever cost so much and still be free._

_And my only wish is that it finds its home in the heart of you and me._

 

_Only love is on the page - when your days are over._

_Only love is…_

 

_Only love is on the page - when your days are over._

_When you’re six feet under…_

 

_Only love is on the page - when you close the curtain._

_Only love is…_

 

_I know that you’re scared. I know you’ve gone without._

_But the trial is what life has always been about._

 

_So I hope you find peace within the pain._

_When you see your life was not lived out in vain._

 

_When all is said and done._

_Only love is…_

_Only love is on…” 2_

 

 

“Here! Here!” Someone in the bunch raised a stein of beer inciting cheering which rambled through the now overheated barn.

 

“They sure like to celebrate.” Alphonse chuckled.

 

“That was delightful!” May cooed. “I’ve never heard any such song in Xing.” The princess began clapping in unison with the rest of the people as another song started.

 

“I think…” Winry unbuttoned her already open coat the rest of the way. “I think I need some air.” She struggled to stand only to be assisted by the suddenly spry former alchemist.

 

“Need me to help?”

 

“No, Ed.” She motioned for her husband to sit back down. The genuine smile on his handsome face betrayed the pain of his healing right leg and the phantom pain in the stump of his left. She knew he was hurting and needed to rest too. “I just want to step outside to cool off a little. I’ll be back in a minute.” The young woman planted a gentle kiss on the corner of her husband's lips, earning more cheering from their table mates as she then trotted with heavy strides toward and outside the barn door.

 

Winry relished the biting cold and roaring winds assaulting her roasting skin. Pregnancy brought with it such weird symptoms, being easily overheated was such a strange one to her, especially in the winter. The woman would forever be thankful the hot spells started when it got cold enough so that she could slip outside and cool off and not in the dead heat of the summer. Upon catching a faint twinkling sound, she took a few steps toward the farmhouse to discover a small set of wind chimes hanging from the wrap-around covered porch, their sound so gentle in the quick wind that she made up her mind to get a set (or make one) when they returned to Resembool. A quick study of any contraption, she crunched through the now pressed down snow of the path from the house to the barn so she could get a better glimpse and make some mental notes on how to reproduce it. The mechanic stood below the wind chime and was about to take one last step closer when a pain, quick and with the sharpness of a chef's knife, sliced through her lower abdomen and forced an audible grunt from her pink lips.

 

“Ok...” She turned, knowing that it could be nothing and at the same time it could be everything including going into labor. “Let's get back inside...” Winry wasn't sure who else she was talking to, but it made sense during the volt of pain. She figured she may well be speaking to the pain itself. Two heavy steps toward the barn were followed by two more pains, the second nearly toppling the young mother. Something surely was not right. Leaning over, with her hands on her knees to make the last few paces toward the barn, Winry stood straight and as she did, a rush of blue invaded her peripheral vision, then covered her entire sight. A pile of newly shoveled snow on the side of the path cushioned her sturdy frame as she fell.

 

The next few hours only played out in bursts of visions. In fact, she couldn't be sure if they happened at all or her mind created them. First, there was the ethereal white sky, unusually white for a night sky, but because of the storm and the snow cascading around her face and into her open eyes, it shone magical shades of ivory and gray. Then, her husband's worried visage took over her entire field of vision for just a split second and even though he was yelling (at her, at someone else, she couldn't tell) she heard nothing but the wind. More mundane images came, like the ceiling of the barn, and faces of the people staying in the farmhouse, even the snoot of a cow as the mechanic's body was carried and moved inside and out of the snow. Before she fell back to sleep, she spied a trough – a wooden contraption for hay and from which the animals fed. A manger. Winry's knowledge of medical arts overtook her own symptoms and she realized if she were in labor that her first child not only was about to be born in a barn, but could very well sleep the rest of the night in that very manger. Anger boiled over bringing her body to full consciousness. When she opened her eyes, Ed, Al, May and some of the Brigg's men were staring at her, some with slackened jaws.

 

“I am not going to have this baby in a fucking barn!”

 

All present jumped back in horror, horror not only to the expletive escaping the lips of such a sweet face but to the brute strength this pregnant woman excreted in proclaiming it. Even Edward gulped.

 

“Edward Elric! I will never forgive you if I have to plop this kid out in here with the cows!” She took a few breaths before finishing, “Get me home!” And with that, she fainted again.

 

* * *

 

A gentle rocking motion lulled her mind back to reality. Winry felt her head move side to side as a cold hand lovingly stroked her bangs...she supposed being petted wasn't so bad, but it also served to awaken her from slumber. When she opened her eyes, the wood paneled ceiling of a passenger train car came into view but not for long as a pair of mischievous golden eyes met her own.

 

“Sleeping beauty's awake!” Ed half shouted and helped his wife upright from her comfy position with her head on his right thigh. “Let's see what other obscenities she's going to spew...”

 

“What?” Winry felt her cheeks flush as she moved from horizontal to vertical. “What on earth happened?”

 

“What do you last remember?” May inquired.

 

“We were stuck in a barn during a storm. I remember food and music and...oh...” She remembered the pain and the hay and cows and _the manger. “_ Good lord! My baby!” She grasped her still full belly and sighed to find Ed junior still warm and safe inside.

 

“Settle down, Win, you didn't go into labor...you are perfectly fine.” The former alchemist really tried to suppress a laugh, he didn't want to hurt his wife's feelings over what actually happened.

 

“I can't be fine...I hurt, terribly bad...and fainted!” She gazed upon her brother-in-law and his girlfriend who both snickered and tried not to laugh and her anger rose again. “What the hell's so funny!”

 

“Win...farmer Jedd's wife has midwife experience and she and May checked you out, full prepared to help you deliver...”

 

“So, what was it then?” She rubbed her belly.

 

Ed put his hand on his wife's as she massaged her baby. “Let's just say, you were sure the baby was coming and you were having none of it...we are lucky Farmer Jedd wasn't offended in your badmouthing his barn...his farm animals...”

 

“What?”

 

“Brother! Just tell her, stop dragging this out.” Alphonse looked vexed as he knew Ed was the reason all of them got stuck in that barn to begin with.

 

“...Constipation.”

 

“What the hell?”

 

“Edward! Knock it off!” Alphonse pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “Winry, you suffered from false labor...that and being overheated caused you to faint.”

 

“But...” Ed's eyes shone with mirth. “Not before you swore like an Aeregoan sailor about not birthing your baby in a barn.”

 

“Oh, god.” Embarrassment hit her worse than the pains. She remember the profanities she'd used and felt terrible.

 

“Don't worry!” May, ever the optimist came forward and held her hand. “Your seriousness forced the Brigg's men to contact the fort and a newer, bigger transport tank arrived that very night! Jedd's family laughed and said it would be a solstice story to tell for years, how this small pregnant woman shook the hard Brigg's army to its core with her stone will!”

 

“...and, her dirty mouth!” Ed cackled.

 

“Oh, god.”

 

“Hey, it worked...we didn't have to spend the night in the barn and we'll be back in Resembool for breakfast with Granny.” Ed pulled Winry close, secretly loving that she scared the hell out of the lot of them, him included by yelling. “Don't think about it another minute.”

 

“Oh, god.” She couldn't stop feeling embarrassed and repeating herself. Winry hoped someone had gotten Jedd's address so she could send a letter or card of thanks and apology.

 

“Don't worry about it...what's done is done.” Edward pulled his wife back on his lap to lay down again. “Besides, I'll be able to tease you plenty after the baby is born. I'm sure we'll all get a better grasp of all the curse words you know when you're really having my baby!”

 

“Edward!”

 

 

1\.  As sung by [Miss Piggy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeOAF44MYHk)

2\. [When All is Said and Done](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3og-D2p6tA) by The Dirt Poor Robins

 

 

 

 


	26. Is Equal Trade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My FMA Secret Santa 2016 submission, written especially for marimel-stars.tumblr.com! AND, this is my very first Royai fic ever…I hope it is in character.

The trip to Ishval from Central consisted of one long train ride to Resembool, a longer trek by foot toward the edge of Amestris' southeastern border and finally, a horse or camel ride further East.   If one actually didn't stop in New Kanda, the reconstructed capitol, eventually, you'd end up in the ruins of Xerxes and on toward Xing.   General Roy Mustang intended to get a rail line out this far.  If not to bring goods and people back to this war-torn part of Amestris, but so it wouldn't take him so god-damned long to even get there to begin with.  

 

As it were, Mustang knew his new elevated rank allowed him to travel a bit better than some.  He had managed without walking on foot, but rode in relative comfort in a sand truck caravan.   Despite the desert climate, the winter season also kept Ishval dry and very cold.   The General could see his breath.

 

“Too cold, sir?”   Captain Hawkeye, ever his adjunct inquired.   She had access to some woolen blankets and knew her superior would refuse them, but his task in Ishval was too important to catch a cold. 

 

“I'm fine...it's just odd to me to be somewhere with miles and miles of sand yet the temperature so frigid.”

 

“It's better than in the summer, I suppose.”  

 

“True.”

 

“Sir?”   Riza had carefully constructed this inquiry since the two of them left Central for Ishval.  She knew she must treat lightly but she had to get this off her chest.  “When did you decide to grow a mustache?”   There, it was out in the open.  

 

“This?”   Roy smiled.  “After the promised day and reconstruction of the military high command, I spent a lot of time with Grumman in the old Fuhrer's offices.   I never noticed it before, but the corridor leading to Bradley's office is also a hall of portraits...all former leaders of Amestris and every single one of those men had a mustache.”  

 

“Sir...every one of those men were puppets of that homunculus...are you sure that's something you wish to emulate?”

 

“Not because they were controlled, but their _image_ obviously worked to help them into power too.  The people respected them.”   He turned his gaze toward his subordinate.  “What about you, Captain?”

 

“Sir?”   She could tell by the mirth in his voice he planned on ambushing her with a personal question in return for the one she just asked him.

 

“Why did you decide to shear off your hair?”   He uttered the words without hiding the sound of regret even though he'd never ever voiced that he loved her long golden locks...or wished a chance to be close enough to her again to run his fingers through it.

 

“You know I cut it during your long recovery...to get your sight back.”  Riza didn't feel like bringing up bad memories for the General.   However, it was a fact that it took months of therapy and treatments from Dr. Marcoh to reverse the Flame Alchemist's blindness.  “I was too busy between you and Jean to tend to it and decided to cut it off.   It's much easier to take care of now.”   

 

“Is that so?”

 

“And with the current drought in Ishval, I doubt long hair would be very practical.”  

 

“Captain, you're very pragmatic...my sisters would much rather loose a finger than chop off their crowning beauty.”   Mustang thought fondly of all the “sisters” his aunt employed at her old bar, which was currently being rebuilt.

 

“I'm a soldier first, and long hair is not worth the trouble.”   Riza didn't understand Mustang not wanting to let go this conversation.  Hair was hair, not anything more.

 

“Let me ask you something and promise me that you will answer it...and be honest.”  

 

“Sir?”  

 

“I don't want an answer of a subordinate.”   His eyes narrowed.  “Tell me as my friend...what do _you_ think about the mustache?”  

 

“Well...”   She couldn't just blurt it out.   Roy had seemed just so damned proud of the little scraps of facial hair on his upper lip.   He really wanted to assume the role of a wise General even though he was barely just over thirty.   “Sir...”   The formality from her earned a grunt from him.  “...um, General Mustang...”  She just didn't have it within her to call him Roy while they were on duty.   “...my opinion really doesn't matter.”

 

“Like hell it doesn't!”   He turned so that she had to see his full face.   “Yours is the only opinion that matters to me...”   Roy wasn't sure if he should have been that honest.  “What do you think of it?”

 

“I don't like it...Sir.”   She exhaled, knowing that the truth may smart a bit, but it was her truth and he'd asked for her to be honest.  

 

“You don't?”   Mustang chuckled.   “Really?”

 

“I never liked men with facial hair.”   Riza uttered those words as if breathing them. 

 

“Oh.”   Roy sat back and for the longest time while they were driven across the cold sand, neither of them spoke until finally, the General decided to break the silence.  “Well, I could make you a deal...”

 

“What about?”   Again, the tone in the man's voice she recognized as one he used after his brilliant mind worked a scheme to fruition and he was about to explain his plan. 

 

“When we are done with our part of the reconstruction of Ishval...”

 

“Yes?”

 

“...and if you still want to follow me on my return to Central...”

 

“I think you know my stance on how far I will follow you, Sir.”  To Hell if he asked.

 

“Yes...”   The image of Riza's wound from the Promised Day, the red scar across the side of her neck flashed into his mind and he winced.  “I do.”   Riza noticed him flinch.   “...then perhaps if you would grow your hair long again...I will shave my mustache off.” 

 

Riza answered with silence. 

 

“What do you think?”

 

“I don't know...it's an awful lot of work on my part...”

 

“What?!!”  

 

“I mean, I have to grow out my hair...it will take more than a year.   It takes longer to wash and longer to dry and will be a pain...whereas all you have to do is shave.”  She smiled, knowing she'd gotten under his skin.  “I just don't see how that is...what do you alchemists call... _equivalent exchange_?”

 

He couldn't believe she'd compared his compliment toward her beautiful hair to an alchemical concept.  However, despite being annoyed by it, he knew she was right. 

 

“Sir?”

 

“Hawkeye, I will shave this mustache off as soon as I get a chance if you would grow out your hair again.”  

 

“I'll consider it.”   She smiled, she really liked her hair short and wondered if she like it more than she hated the god-awful thing on Mustang's face.  “Let's discuss what else about this deal is equal trade.”  Yeah, she was sure that along with getting rid of his ridiculous facial hair, she could convince him to make more concessions...like doing more of his own paperwork and giving her some time off once in a while.   She even pondered milking an expensive dinner from this exchange.  


	27. Yellow Ribbon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why in the world would she wait for someone as broken as Edward Elric?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Christmas gift for @f-u-l-l-m-e-t-a-l on Tumblr
> 
> done as part of @fmasecretsanta on Tumblr.
> 
> Inspired by an old song on the Stranger Things soundtrack and something I think a lovesick dorky Ed would do.

The young man's stomach rumbled announcing to all patrons in a two meter radius his readiness for high tea.   He could travel a few streets south and get a proper meal in a restaurant, but Edward Elric rather enjoyed The Lucky Duck Pub's simple five o'clock working-class suppers not to mention his rented room hovered just over the kitchen.   The precarious placement of cook Bob's oven right under his bed allowed the smells of cooking savory pastry and meats infiltrate his nose letting him know when the good stuff was done and ready to be served.   He was often the first person at the bar requesting the meal of the day.   

 

“Hey Ed, good to see you again today.”   Margaret, Bob's wife worked the bar with another hired man during high tea, she smiled, missing a few molars here and there.   “I don't have to ask do I?” 

 

“No ma'am.”   The former alchemist returned her smile.   He truly enjoyed talking to both Marg and Bob when they had the time in between customers as they made him feel at home here in Britannia, over a thousand miles from the big yellow house in Resembool.   Suddenly, the image of the rolling hills of his hometown took his mind right back to that yellow house, then up the front porch steps and into the waiting arms of woman who held his heart. 

 

"You ok, love?"   Marg noticed the young man's far off stare.   "Ed?"   She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes bringing him back to rainy Londinium.   "There you are!" 

 

"Sorry, just got a little homesick for a minute."    

 

"How long has it been?" 

 

He sat straight back on his barstool before answering.  "About a year."    

 

Edward thought about all the places that he'd traveled in that year that finally lead him to the farthest west he could go without getting on an ocean liner to Columbiana far across the sea.  Truth be told, he'd thought about traveling there to learn of the alchemy in the New World, but this creeping hurt in the middle of his chest kept him from purchasing the tickets for the trans-Atlantis voyage to North Columbiana.   He felt the first tinge of pain when he was lost in the dry desert canyons of central Creta.  Thinking it a medical issue, he actually found a doctor in a border town for a checkup which resulted in a totally healthy diagnosis-save for some wear and tear on his left leg's stump for lack of maintenance.   Soon, the young man's thoughts went again to his hometown and the girl who cared for his automail and he knew she'd murder him for neglecting the limb.   The pain returned as he sat on the doctor's examination table and without saying another word to embarrass himself in front of the physician, Edward knew exactly why he was hurting.   He missed Winry. 

 

"One steak and kidney pudding!"   Bob yelled to his wife as he placed a plate of steaming cone-shaped suet pastry next to a pile of mashed potatoes on the kitchen counter.   Marg left the young patron to retrieve his meal and returned, placing the savory dish under the boy's nose with hopes of bringing him out of his doldrums.    

 

Ed took one whiff of the food and for a moment, the pain in his stomach overruled the pain in his heart.   He found a fork and began to dig in.    

 

"Well, if you ask me..."   Marg put her hand on her hip as another patron sidled up to the bar next to Ed.  "I think that it's a year too long, love.  All this..."  She waved her free hand to the rest of the Lucky Duck.   "...will still be here, you know."   She gave a final sigh at the young man, seemingly not paying attention to her before she left him to his meal so she could attend other customers. 

 

Ed heard Marg's words crystal clear.   He thought of what he'd actually accomplished on his journey and other than meeting loads of new people and exciting new places, not much in the way of new alchemy did he discover.  Marg was right.   He'd been here for weeks at the Lucky Duck and nothing had changed – no new discoveries, nothing.   If anything, he'd gotten a little pudgy around the middle from all the mincemeat in the pudding.    

 

Still, the problem remained.   Did Winry still feel the same?   Did her heart hurt with missing him too?  He scoffed in his head, surely the girl was tougher than pining after  _him_.   She had automail customers and loads of friends to keep her busy.   Although he thought she understood and agreed to wait for him when he last saw her at the train station, he'd not been the best at corresponding or even calling since that day over a year ago.   He couldn't even remember when he last wrote her and realized he was scared to death to confront her now – petrified of rejection because she was so goddamned perfect.  Why in the world would she wait for someone as broken as Edward Elric? 

 

Edward realized he'd finished his meal.   He waved at Bob and left money on the counter before scooting off the barstool and making his way back to the tiny little room above the kitchen.   Once in his humble cell, the former alchemist made his way to the teeny writing desk under the sole window and pulled out a sheet of paper.   There, as the aroma of baking steak and kidney puddings engulfed his space, nearly making him ill, he made the decision to end his silence once and for all.  As he finished and checked his penmanship, his stomach churned again.  He knew it was more nervousness than from the smell of the bar food.     

 

The young alchemist placed the letter in the post to leave the next day.   On his way back from mailing the letter to Resembool, he purchased a train ticket traveling East and hoping he timed it correctly for his letter to arrive well before he did.    

 

Soon, he'd know if the pain would stop or if he'd have to live with it. 

 

* * *

 

The wind howled and blew something fierce across the Resembool meadows and tossed with it any leaves or dead grasses that made it this far into December.   Despite the cold and the dreary weather, the postman dutifully made his rounds I the tiny little burg.   He pulled out the bundle of letters going to the Rockbell residence and mentally reprimanded himself for being nosey, but smiled when he saw the letter addressed to the young Miss Rockbell...and it wasn't from one of her automail clients.  Everyone in Resembool knew the young woman's heart belonged to that Elric boy, the elder one who just couldn't stay still for too long.   The old women in the village quit trying to play match maker with Winry as she rebuffed any suitor who foolishly tried to woo her and everyone knew it was because of Edward.   The letter carrier waved at Pinako and ignored the big barking dog as he handed her the letters in person instead of leaving them at the mail box. 

 

"He's a moron."   The young automail mechanic moaned as she finished reading the letter from Edward.   "Does he think I'll forget him so easily?"   She stomped around the kitchen, leaving the letter on the table.    

 

"Give him a break, Winry."  Granny took the letter and smiled as she read it.   "It's sort of romantic for him, you know?"   The old woman smiled.  She was happy Ed was returning home.   Despite the little fit her granddaughter was throwing at the moment, Pinako knew Winry was happy too.   The old woman read the letter again: 

 

 _Winry_ _,_  

 _I_ _know it's been too terribly long since I've written to you.   So long now, that I'm scared of what you think of me by now._  

 _I'm_ _coming_ _home._ _I've done my time._ _But_ _I've_ _just got to know what is and isn't mine._  

 _If you received this_ _letter telling you I'd soon be free, t_ _hen you'll know just what to do_  

 _I_ _f you still want me:_  

 _T_ _ie_ _a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree, (you know the one I can see from the train.)_  

 _It's_ _been a very long_ _year;_ _do you still want me?_  

 _If I don't see a ribbon around the old_ _oak tree, I'll stay on the train and won't complain – you can put all the blame on me._  

 

 _I know_ _some of it_ _rhymes_ _and I_ _know I suck.    But seriously, I can't face you unless I know first so,_ _if_ _you'll humor me with the tree thing, I think I'll have enough courage to come home._

 _And, if it's over, I'll know that too and I'll call you from Central to be sure (in case you didn't get this letter.)_  

 

 _With Love,_  

 _Edward_  

 

* * *

 

 

He didn't realize he'd be arriving in Resembool smack dab on Solstice Eve.   Poor planning on his part meant that the train was full of city folks coming home to their families to celebrate.  Crowded as it was, the mood remained jovial and thanks to a free helping of rum infused eggnog, most of the people in his car maintained an extra happy attitude.   Despite all this, the young alchemist's stomach knotted and his chest pained him.   He felt he could be sick any moment as familiar landscapes came into view and he knew he got closer and closer to his hometown.   

 

"Do you think she'll do it, lad?"   The old mustachioed gentlemen in the seat across from him asked.   Ed wished he'd not had any of the holiday spirits else he'd kept his lips buttoned.   As soon as he told his story to his seat mates, the tale of true love soon spread around the train car. 

 

"Of course, she will!"  The young woman in the seat behind the old man chimed in.  "Look at him!  He's a cutie!"   Ed felt his ears burn. 

 

"Aren't we coming up on Resembool?"  A voice called out. 

 

"We are!   We'll find out!"   

 

He felt like he could bury himself inside his boots, disappear and die right there.   

 

"Is that the tree?"    

 

"No, that's not it, it's bare." 

 

His heart fell. 

 

"Oh my god!  Look, boy, look!"   The old man practically pulled the boy out of his seat to the window. 

 

As the train started to slow as it approached Resembool station, Edward's golden eyes beheld an amazing sight.   The old oak tree, the very tree he, his brother and Winry had played under as children stood there in the meadow and dusted with snow.   However, wrapped around every inch of that barren tree was a vibrant yellow ribbon – every bough, branch and the whole trunk covered in yellow. 

 

"Horray!"   The car burst into cheers for the young man and his nervousness turned into the warmth of pure joy.     

 

Edward knew.    He knew where he stood with her and he could finally face her in person and tell her how he felt...and hopefully she'd not hurt him.    

 

Fin 


	28. Like Flirting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do they act like this often?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another present for a 2nd secret Santa I participated in this year.
> 
> This one’s for aidenaramii on tumblr for fullmetalsanta also on tumblr
> 
> Pairings:  EdxWin and teeny, tiny bit AlxMei
> 
> Triggers:   just fluff

 

Solstice Day served to remind families about their bonds and should bring folks together from all across Amestris to join together with loved ones.   Normally, beasts were roasted and pies baked; potatoes mashed and sweets confected.   However, some families celebrated the Solstice in a non-traditional way, much to the chagrin of the patrons trying to enjoy a nice dinner in Rush Valley.

“I swear, Winry, let me get this.”   The golden-haired man spoke through clenched teeth as he pulled the restaurant bill toward himself.   The blue-eyed young woman squared her shoulders and slapped the top of his hand with her own, stopping him from taking the tab.  

“I SAID, this was my treat, Edward.”   Winry grunted equally as perturbed to the former alchemist across the table from her.

“I have to protest…WINRY…”  Ed, although the girl’s touch on his hand made the tips of his ears burn, would sooner allow Lust give him a rectal exam than let his girlfriend pay for this whole big dinner.  He’d planned on treating the lot of them since not one of their merry group had an adequate kitchen or dining room to cook the Solstice meal.  "You can get the tip, if you insist on paying something.“

"No way!”   This time, the automail mechanic grasped the young man’s wrist, pulling his hand, upper body and the bill back toward her.   “I’ve been planning this for months, besides, you just got here, you’re MY guest, not the other way around!”   The raised voices started garnering stares.    

“Do they act like this often?”   Mei leaned very close to Alphonse’s ear, puffing a little bit of breath into it as she spoke.   She smiled as said ear and the younger Elric’s cheek for that matter turned pink.    

“Only all the time.”   Al sighed.   “It’s sort of their thing.”    

“Oh, I get it…it’s like flirting?”   The princess chuckled.

“If you say so.”    

“Edward Elric!  Just because you’re the MAN, doesn’t mean you have to take charge of everything!   I’ll have you know that MY business is doing just fine and I can perfectly afford this meal.”    

“It’s not about me being the MAN, Winry!   It’s because I wanted to give you this as a gift!”   Ed immediately stepped back after letting it slip, that this dinner served as his Solstice present to Winry – so that she, her friends and the Elrics could have a happy meal together.   “Ugh, I mean…”  he stammered.

“A gift?   To me?”   Winry also backed off a little.   Her cheeks turned red and this time, not from anger but from admiration of Edward’s true intention.    

“Well, yeah…I missed…you.”   Ed scratched the back of his head.   “…and thought that if we all got together, it’d make you so happy.   I love to see you happy…”   He grimaced as he realized his attempt to make Winry happy ended up in them both having a yelling match over who would pay the bill.

“Ed… that is…so…”  The blonde girl smiled at the now reddening boy across the table.  "…so…SWEET!“  She sailed around the table and hugged the young man as everyone, Al, Mei, Paninya, Garfiel, and the whole restaurant watched.    

"Well…I…”   The young man stammered as the girl hugged him tighter, his face now bright with embarrassment.

“…and keep the change!”   Alphonse handed the waiter a wad of cash with the bill right on top, the younger Elric having swooped in and stolen the check while his brother and soon-to-be-sister-in-law bickered.

“Al!”   Winry and Ed yelled in unison.  

“What?   Now it’s MY Solstice present to the both of you.”   He offered his elbow to Mei, the little princess stuck out her tongue at Edward as she hooked her arm with Al’s and they sauntered off.   The rest of their friends snickered and followed.

“Edward, darling…”  Garfiel pat the young alchemist on his back and whispered into his ear.  "You’ll have to give Winry some other present later.“   He winked and left the two standing there as the bus boy came to clear their table.    

"What did he say to you, Ed?   Your cheeks are all pink.”   Winry gave him an incredulous grin.    

“N,n,nothing.”   The young man took his brother’s cue and offered the young woman his elbow.   She raised an eyebrow at the old-fashioned gesture, but hooked her arm in his anyway.   “Just thinking of something else I can give you for Solstice later.”    A mile-long grin spread across his face as they left the restaurant arm in arm.

“That sounds, great, Ed…”  Winry leaned into the former alchemist’s ear.   “I can give you my real present later too.”    

Fin.


End file.
